The Mating Bond
by LailaB
Summary: It's like tunnel vision. And once eye contact is made, there is absolutely no reversing it. The more physical contact that is made, the more animalistic and primal the bond comes to be. What will it mean when Edward and Bella find out that their bond is unique? What will it mean when they realize that their bond has the power to change the world as we know it?
1. Chapter 1

I took this story down because Edward and Bella decided that they wanted this story to do in a complete different direction than I had planned. I've revised the existing chapters to accommodate them and I hope you enjoy the story that they insist on telling.

This story will take a backseat to The Bunny Ranch, but I didn't want to ignore the characters while they were talking.

Let me know if you would like visuals so that I can start a Pintrest board for this story.

Lets be friends on Twitter and facebook: Lailabentz and Laila Bentz

Mistakes are my own.

I own nothing but a printed out hot pink copy of the first four chapters of this story...

Enjoy!

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 *****The Mating Bond*****

 **~Edward~**

I am a solitary creature, alone in this godforsaken life. Okay, not completely alone, as I do have my family, but alone in the sense that I do not have a mate. I have been in this existence for ninety-two years and have yet to find her, and I am starting to believe that I never will. It is becoming increasingly difficult to be around them…my family, I mean.

You see I belong to a coven of seven vampires, including three blissfully happy mated pairs.

My brothers constantly assault me with their teasing thoughts about being a one hundred and nine year old virgin; they believe that I should just get it over with already. It's not that I haven't had offers because I have, too many to count from humans and vampires alike, it's just that I don't want to experience any kind of intimacy with anyone other than my mate. I have waited this long, so there is no sense in giving in now. Besides, there is no one that I've met who has even remotely captured my attention, either physically _or_ intellectually, so the hope of getting both essential parts of stimulation _together_ is completely unlikely.

I'm not blind, I can appreciate an attractive woman, but it all seems to be abstract. To be honest, I have never in my ninety-two years as a vampire had an erection. No one has been good enough. It doesn't help that I am telepathic, so I'm able to read every selfish and shallow thought that runs through the mind of each and every person in my presence. I held out hope for the longest time that there were still good people in the world. I've pretty much given up on that notion now. I know that I will wait until I find her, because she deserves to have every part of me, my first, and only, _everything_.

I sigh heavily, albeit unnecessarily, wondering if I ever will find her. From what I have seen in the other's minds it hits you like a train wreck, the mating bond that is. You feel an incredible pull that is all consuming. It's like tunnel vision. The bond isn't initiated until eye contact is made, but once it is there is absolutely no reversing it.

The scary part is that once the bond is established the incessant need to touch and be in contact with one another is, in most cases, unmanageable. This is all fine and dandy when it happens with another vampire, but about seventy-five percent of the time it happens with a human. The problem with this is that the more contact that is made and the more intimate the contact becomes, the more animalistic and primal the bond comes to be.

Now, the bond recognizes the fragility of the vampire's mate and the body knows instinctually how much pressure and force to use as to not harm the mate, if he or she is human. It is ingrained like DNA; it is _impossible_ to harm one's mate. The problem is that some humans cannot rationalize and come to terms with how insanely possessive the vampire becomes as the physical contact progresses. This is obviously not a problem for me, however, considering that I do not have nor do I have any prospects for a mate.

Pulling my thoughts back to the present, I begin to feel the unease that has been plaguing me for the last two days settle back into my body. I don't know why, but I am unusually agitated today. I feel like something is off, like I am missing or forgetting something, which is impossible given our superior ability to compartmentalize and concentrate on anything and everything at once. I take a moment to concentrate on the thoughts surrounding me figuring that doing so may give me some insight to what may be causing the feeling of anticipation radiating throughout my body. There is nothing out of the ordinary, really, aside from the arrival of a new student, Isabella Swan, or Bella as she has been correcting everyone today.

Entering the cafeteria later than usual, I quickly scan the crowd for my siblings and then proceed to the lunch line to gather my lunch. The line moves slowly giving me ample opportunity to examine my mental surroundings. The thoughts of the teenagers are absolutely repulsive. It disturbs me like no other, the way that the boys think about and treat their significant others. To them, they are nothing more than a body to use. I think their thoughts bother me more because I'd give anything to have the companionship that they have and yet they choose to treat their woman so disrespectfully. I sigh heavily as the line creeps forward at a snail's pace. God could these children be any more irritating.

Just as I shuffle forward, I hear Alice gasp. Her vision fills my mind at the same time that I feel an incredible, almost painful pull towards the door. It takes every bit of my superhuman control to keep my feet rooted in their spot as the intense desire rushes through me to move toward the pull.

Alice's vision consists of the face of a young girl, maybe seventeen years old with the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen in my life, but the pull is so intense that I don't even get to see the entire vision. I hear a whimper from across the cafeteria and my eyes automatically seek out the sound. There she is, my beautiful brown eyes, only she is hunched over in pain clutching her chest as if she can't breathe. My body instantly reacts, screaming at me to 'protect my mate', but before I'm able to move toward her, Alice has her cradled against her chest guiding her out of the room.

 _No! Mine._

These are the only thoughts that fill my mind as a growl slips through my lips too low for the humans to hear. Jasper's answering growl is immediate, warning me to back off of his mate.

 _We need a moment, Edward. I'm not going to hurt her, I promise. I just need to talk to her before you make eye contact and the bond is established. You want her to have a choice don't you? I'm so sorry I didn't see this beforehand; I wish I could have warned you._

Alice's voice rings loud and clear in my mind, and I wonder briefly if I really do want to give her a choice. I immediately chastise myself for my selfish thoughts. Yes, of course, she deserves a choice. This revelation doesn't help the painful constricting of my chest as I feel her move farther away from me though. I know it is the same for her as well because I can hear her whimpers grow louder as Alice ushers her outside. Through Alice's mind I can see her fighting with all of her feeble human strength to get back to me. I concentrate on using all of my control to keep from rushing out the door after them, when I feel the hands of both of my brothers slide over my shoulders applying just enough pressure to let me know that they are in control of my movements for the time being. This is a fact that I am extremely hostile about at the moment. I feel like a caged animal and I want nothing more than to get to the girl with the beautiful brown eyes.

Against my better judgment I choose to show my irritation with the circumstances by pushing out a menacing hiss to my captors.

I can hear the irritation in Jasper's mind as he prompts Emmett, in a voice too low for humans to hear, to guide me outside in the opposite direction that Alice and Rosalie went with the girl. Apparently, we are starting to garner the attention of the student body, plus he thinks we should call and talk to my father, Carlisle, before I have any interaction with Isabella.

I sigh dreamily at the sound of her name in Jasper's mind causing him to roll his eyes and his annoyance to spike which, in turn, flares my temper when I realize that I am being forced away from my mate. The term rolls around my mind.

My _mate_ , it feels fantastic and it spurs me on even more to fight against the threat against her.

Jasper comes to the conclusion that the only way they are going to get me calmed down is for him to use his gift on me. You see Jasper has the ability to sense and manipulate emotions, which is extremely useful in situations such as these. I curse him internally as I start to feel lethargic, and as soon as I feel the fight leave my body I feel a wave of calm wash over me. My baser instincts tell me to fight, but I just can't seem to find the energy. I let a deep menacing growl out, frustrated at my current incapacitated state, focused solely on Jasper. The good thing about his ability is that it will only last five minutes, tops and I brighten at the prospect of a fight when his mood voodoo wears off.

Jasper senses the urgency to start talking me down when he realizes that he has mere minutes to get me calmed. Having as much experience as he does with fighting and destroying vampires, he knows what state I will be in with the threat to my potential mate if he doesn't start explaining.

Yes, I have referred to her up to this point as my mate, but I am well aware that the bond will not be instilled until there is eye contact. It is obvious by both of our reactions that it has already been initiated, but upon eye contact it becomes irrevocable and upon intimacy it becomes fatal, meaning that without the other, the half of the pair that is left will perish.

Emmett immediately calls our father, talking too fast for human ears, while Jasper tries to soothe me by telling me that this separation is only temporary and that I will be with her soon. His statement spurs a sudden fear and I can't help but look up at him with large questioning eyes. What if she says _no?_ My breath hitches in my throat at the prospect that she may still reject me. What would I do? We only have one soul mate so; I would live the rest of my existence alone. That thought terrifies me and before I can control it a low pitched whine escapes my mouth.

It is in this state that I hear my father's voice on the other end of the phone, "…just bring him home, I'll meet you there. Yes, I just talked to Rosalie and apparently Isabella is in no better shape than he is. According to Rosalie, they can't even calm her down enough to explain the intricacies of the situation. They can't get her to stop crying. All she wants is Edward. I've never seen a potential bond this strong without having established eye contact. I'm not one hundred percent positive about how we should handle this, but something needs to be done immediately." When Emmett ends the call with our father, I finally get a good look at myself through his thoughts for the first time since this whole ordeal started. I look wide-eyed and frantic, and completely animalistic with not a trace of our usual human façade. Even the sounds coming out my mouth are inhuman. There is no way that she will want anything to do with me, the disgusting beast that I am. With that realization, I slump in defeat allowing my brothers to do whatever they wish with me. It's not like it matters anyway.

I vaguely hear Emmett talking to Mr. Banner in the hallway, explaining to him that I'm ill and that they are taking me home. That explains the pathetic keening and moaning coming from my lips, according to Mr. Banner's thoughts anyway.

During the ride home, Jasper tries to assure to me that dad is explaining everything to Bella as we speak and that if she still wants to see me, we will be allowed to, but not until he talks to me as well. Apparently, there are stages and boundaries that need to be put in place to protect her from being overwhelmed both emotionally and physically. Her frail human mind and body can only withstand so much, literally.

I can smell her the moment we pull up to the house. Her scent is intoxicating, a heady mixture of strawberries, freesia and lavender. Once the initial shock of her scent wanes, I am hit once again with the all-encompassing need to be near her. The fact that I can hear her whimpering and crying only adds to my determination. My brothers both reach for me, effectively pinning me down to my seat, but that doesn't stop me from reaching out with my mind.

First I hone in on my father's thoughts. It appears that the conversation with my Bella went much better than he anticipated. She took everything in greedily pressing for more and more information, and in the end she even offered a smile. Relief was evident in her beautiful features. Relief that there was an explanation and relief that I would be coming for her soon.

She asked when she would be changed and blushed when dad spoke of intimacy. She worried that I would be disappointed because she is not beautiful like Rosalie and Alice. Silly girl, she is the most beautiful of all of them. It was both adorable and heartbreaking that she pouted and asked for me every two to three minutes. She also revealed that her best friend is a shape-shifter from La Push, trying of course, to help convince us that she understood that mythical creatures exist and that she had an idea of how mating works amongst said creatures.

She had initially thought, before she saw me that a shape-shifter had 'imprinted' on her because the description that they give is very similar to what she felt in the cafeteria. It was finally at this point in the conversation that when she asked for me, she wasn't mollified with the response that I would be there soon. Her eyes welled up with tears and her full bottom lip trembled and in a matter of seconds, the crying was back in full force.

Angry that the family was deliberately keeping us apart and making her cry after she clearly gave her consent, I let out a deafening roar. Emmett and Jasper's grip on me falters for a second, but they recover before I can get away. I hear Bella's breath hitch, and with the realization that I am outside, she starts keening this high-pitched sound to me. It sounds almost like an animalistic distress call, which does nothing to help my current state.

Dad is outside in a flash trying to talk me down from my murderous rage. He warns me that he will not allow me to see her until I can get myself under control which only causes me to glare at him while baring my teeth, letting a vicious growl escape my lips. "She wants you Edward, but you must calm down, son. She can't see you for the first time like this. Is this really how you want to meet your mate?" I drop my eyes shamefully and shake my head. "There are just a few things that I need to reiterate to you since Bella is human. First off, you need to take things slow. I know that the pull and the _urges_ are strong, overwhelming even, but you must move your physical relationship along _slowly._ That means keeping your hands over her clothes, Edward; I can't express how important this is.

I would also recommend keeping your kisses light and chaste for a while as well…" My eyes snap up to him and I cut him off abruptly, "What? There is no way that I'm not going to kiss her!" My father lets out a huff of unnecessary breath before answering, "I know, I know. Just try, okay? This is going to be a lot for her to take in. Just keep in mind how frightening our possessiveness combined with the animalistic qualities that surround intimacy can be to a seventeen-year-old human girl. That's all I'm saying. Keep her comfort and sanity at the forefront of your thoughts." As much as I hate what he is saying, I know that he is right. We are going to have to move slowly. Normally, we would be fully mated and on our twelve to twenty-four month seclusion by now. But waiting for Bella to transition comfortably won't kill me. I mean, jeez, I've waited over ninety years…a couple more months should be a piece of cake. Taking a deep breath to steel my resolve, I look my father in the eye, "Bella's comfort first. Got it. I'm ready."

My brothers keep a firm hold on me as we enter the house. I try to seek out Bella's thoughts but am not only bombarded with everyone else's but also overwhelmed with the need to see and touch her. My brothers position me at the bottom of the stairs and hold me in place. My eyes dart frantically around the room searching. The pull in my chest becomes stronger and stronger until finally I see her. Alice has her arms wrapped around Bella's chest and waist and she is whispering kind, soothing words in her ear. She is a vision. Long dark hair frame a gorgeous heart shaped face. Thick, curly eyelashes frame beautiful big brown eyes. Her skin is translucent, radiant even. And her lips. My first erection in memory occurs at the sight of her lips. Full and pouty and deep rosy red. Seeing her through the thoughts of others does not do her justice. I allow my eyes to drink the rest of her form in, and am shocked by the ungentlemanly things that are running through my mind. If I were human, I would be blushing beet red. This woman-child has curves in all the right places and I can hardly wait to get my hands on them. I hear Jasper snickering behind me and immediately I'm assaulted with his mental teasing. Of course, he can feel exactly what I'm feeling at the moment.

When I finally force my eyes away from her delectable physique, I notice that she is checking me out as well. I can't even begin to explain how wonderful it feels to have her eyes on me. I subconsciously puff out my chest like a peacock displaying full plume, trying unnecessarily to impress her with my physical appearance. At last, her exquisite eyes reach mine and the whole world stops.

Intense heat rushes through my body like liquid fire but instead of being painful, it is the most pleasurable feeling I have ever experienced. It is this moment that I realize that I can't hear her mind. Her full lips part as her gaze intensifies and I am hyperaware of her breathing as it deepens to the point of panting. She reaches out for me and I reach out for her in return. Oh so slowly, Alice brings her forward until her hand slips into mine. Instantly, I am bombarded by her. Her touch and her scent are all consuming, bringing my pleasure like nothing else. Her gaze doesn't falter in the slightest at the coolness of my skin; in fact, she grips on to me tightly. Her skin is so incredibly soft, like silk. I can feel her heartbeat through the delicate skin of her wrist as I encase her small feminine hand in mine.

She begins to struggle against my sister clutching her free hand in the front of my shirt and pulling with all of her meager human strength. _Okay, I'm moving away, Edward. I'll take Alice with me._ Jasper assures me with his inner voice as he steps behind Alice, tugging on the back of her shirt. Alice releases Bella who shamelessly molds herself to the front of my body, letting out a deep sigh of contentment.

I lean down to press the side of my face against hers, enjoying the feel of her warm flesh pressed against mine. She responds by nuzzling her face in my neck while rubbing her body against mine much like a cat in heat, while I instinctually blow my breath onto her skin and hair trying to saturate each strand with my scent. It is at this point that I notice the animalistic sounds we are making. She keens a sound somewhere between a moan and a whine while I am drifting between purring and low growling. She lifts her face up to me and closes her eyes, a symbol of submission. This shows me that she is willingly accepting of my natural response to mark my territory with scent. I continue to blow my scent on her and she inhales deeply, parting her lips slightly in effort to inhale and absorb my scent. According to my father's inner dialogue, this would never happen if we were not true mates. He also notes the heavy and distinct scent of her arousal and suggests that I try to wind her down a bit so not to overwhelm her. Not a moment later I feel her hot little mouth attach itself to my neck and start sucking furiously.

She tilts her head to the side fully exposing her graceful, creamy throat while looking up at me from under her lashes with those beautiful brown eyes.

I don't need to hear her thoughts to know what she wants.

My breath hitches in my throat before I lean down to suck delicately on her neck. I can taste the blood that comes to the surface under the skin and am shocked by the amount of pride and possessiveness that rushes through my body at the sight of the small, dark purple mark I've decorated her flesh with. She reaches up to lightly stroke her fingers over it and a breathtaking smile takes over her features upon contact.

She belongs to me

Her eyes drop to my lips in a silent request and I eagerly comply by completely enveloping her in my arms and covering her mouth with my own. We both groan at the contact and I can't for the life of me remember why I should keep from plunging my tongue deep into her mouth. Fireworks are going off in my mind and I can literally feel the bond pulsing with electricity between us. The pulsing is so strong that for the entire time that my mouth covers hers, I feel alive. Truly, alive. It is the most amazing feeling. This is the _best_ first kiss in the history of first kisses…hands down. It was definitely worth waiting one hundred and nine years for.

I grudgingly pull away from her sweet mouth, making her whimper at the loss, to look into her beautiful brown orbs. Completely lost in the depths of my mate's eyes, I fail to hear my father as he tries to warn me to move into the more intimate touches such as deep kissing and caressing slowly.

He unintentionally startles me when he reaches forward to grasp my shoulder and without thinking in instinctually go into defensive mode, snarling and growling as I position myself in front of Bella who clutches on to me not wanting any contact from anyone else. I unconsciously reach back to rub her hip soothingly as I continue to ward off the potential threat with a threatening growl that comes from deep in my chest. It is at this point that I realize that there is no real threat to my mate, that it is just my father.

I know that he only wants to give Bella time to adjust to each level of intensity while protecting her fragile human brain from overloading and I feel terrible for my reaction, but before I can begin to wallow he assures me that my reaction is perfectly natural and that he isn't upset with me at all. I am very grateful for my father figure's compassion and feel comforted that he will guide me through this wonderful, life changing experience.

I feel the heat of Bella's body intensify as she presses herself against my back while winding her arm around my waist and fisting her tiny hand in my shirt. She inhales deeply before nuzzling her face into my back. It's as if she feels the need to leave her scent all over me. My lips curl up into a half smile at the thought.

I am so lost in the sensation of her body pressed against mine that I don't notice that she has snaked her hand underneath my shirt until I feel the intense heat of her hand as she splays it firmly against my stomach. I suck in a sharp breath at the overwhelming feeling of pleasure that courses through me at the simple gesture and gently place my hand on top of hers. She lays her head against my back basking in the feeling of contentment at the contact. I'm truly happy and blissful for the first time in my life.

Several minutes pass as we stand there as still as statues soaking in each other's presence. The only movement between us is the movement caused by our breathing, which is completely in harmony. Finally, the thoughts of my family invade our perfect bubble, but I can't really be upset about it since their thoughts are more than valid. They are thinking that we should probably talk about this and come up with some sort of plan before I take Bella home this evening. My heart clenches painfully at the thought of being separated from her for any amount of time but I know that it is a necessary evil at this point.

Esme, being the kind mother that she is, offers to throw together a casserole that Bella can feed her father with this evening so that she can stay longer to figure this situation out. Bella blushes but gratefully accepts mom's offer, sending her a beautiful smile in thanks.

I turn in her embrace and brush her bangs out of her face before placing a tender, loving kiss on her forehead. She sighs, a soft smile spreading over her beautiful face before I reach down to twine our fingers together and lead her to the sofa. We both settle into the cushions and she scoots so close to me that she is practically sitting in my lap. The heat radiating off of her body feels heavenly against my coolness causing a tingling sensation on my skin.

The rest of the family takes their seats and I smile at her once more, brushing the back of my fingers down the side of her face, loving the pretty blush that covers the apples of her cheeks. Dad clears his throat in order to get our attention and I am deeply touched by the kind and supportive thoughts that fill his mind. It truly means the world to me that he is willing to wholeheartedly accept Bella and the bond we share. He already sees her as his daughter.

"First, I would like to offer my congratulations to Edward and Bella. Finding your mate is a life-changing, albeit extremely joyous occasion and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Bella to the family."

Bella's breath hitches and she flushes even deeper with the sincerity of his words. My chest swells with pride at the public declaration of Bella as part of our family and I tighten the arm that is draped around her shoulders in hopes of conveying that pride. Everyone takes the opportunity to offer their congratulations and welcoming sentiments and by the time everyone has hugged her, Bella's eyes are filled with unshed tears. I love that she feels accepted, like a true part of our family.

Dad smiles warmly before diving into some of the more important things that need to be taken care of, "We need to call the Volturi and let Aro know that Edward has bonded with a human so that she can be documented as part of our family and be granted her protection rights."

Noticing the confusion in Bella's eyes he quickly explains, "The Volturi are a group of vampires in Italy, our royalty if you will. They exist solely to govern and enforce our laws; the most important of those laws is to maintain secrecy of our race, with the exception of bonding. If any vampire divulges our secret without a bond involved, not only will the vampire be destroyed, but the human will be destroyed as well. You automatically gain immunity against punishment from knowing our secret since you are Edward's intended. Your protection rights also grant you security against being hunted by traditional-feeding vampires while you are still human."

Bella sighs a huge sigh of relief at the knowledge that she will now be safe from punishment for knowing our secret as well as human-feeding vampires. I smirk internally as she adjusts herself so that she is a little further in my lap as my father continues speaking,

"I will make that call as soon as we are finished here. The next thing we need to talk about is the significance of the bond and how it works. Bella, I know that I gave you an overview of the mechanics earlier but I don't think you were in a very good presence of mind to pay much attention to the details, and I would like to talk about what all of this means for you if that's okay."

I notice as Bella sits up straight and focuses all, well, most of her attention on my father. She listens intently; readily absorbing all of the details about how drastically her life is about to change. Much to my relief, she understands and accepts all of the changes with open arms and an open heart as dad explains how the bond intensifies as we become more intimate and she blushes profusely when he recommends that we move our intimacy slowly. He chuckles internally, his thoughts indicating that he thinks she is feisty, despite his calm outward demeanor when she asks why we have to move so slowly, impatience clearly coloring her tone. The scent of her arousal thickens in the air when he explains that I will become fiercely possessive and feral the further our physical relationship develops and that he wants to make sure she has adequate time to acclimate herself to some of the potentially frightening sounds and actions that will surely come from me.

She looks over at me, curiosity plain in her heavy lidded eyes, as she demands, "Show me."

The lust filled look in her eyes causes a tightening low in my abdomen and before I think through my actions I let out a low but intimidating growl. The scent of her arousal intensifies and she lets out a needy whimper as she tangles her hands in my hair pulling my face down to hers. She attacks my mouth with unrestrained fervor, moaning wantonly when I slightly part my lips and suck softly on her full bottom lip.

I begin purring at the euphoria of hearing the complete acceptance in her actions, which only serves to turn her on more. She tugs hard at my hair as she trails her hot, wet tongue along my bottom lip.

I am completely lost in the feel of her pillow soft, warm lips that I barely register a throat clearing loudly in the back of my mind. I am just about to dismiss it, when I hear it again along with the sound of my name being called. I groan as I pull away from my angel and cast an annoyed glance toward the interruption.

My father cocks an eyebrow at me and I send him a shy, apologetic smile. I can feel the heat in Bella's face from her embarrassment before offering a quiet apology. He tells me in his thoughts that he is impressed and a little surprised by Bella's reaction to my animalistic sounds and that I should be able to really kiss her tomorrow. He still wants me to be cautious and allow her mind to process all of this overnight before we go any further, though.

After more hugs and congratulations I finally take Bella home, much to my dissatisfaction. The tightening in my chest intensifies when I think about turning to walk away from her and I quickly hand over my cell phone to her.

"If you need anything at all, my Bella, please don't hesitate to call. You can reach me on any of my family's phones and I'll come to you in an instant." I look deeply into her eyes as I say this wanting there to be no doubt that I will come running. She just nods, sniffling softly. "I promise."

I place one last chaste but passionate kiss to her delectable lips before promising that I will be back to pick her up for school at seven in the morning. I feel pathetic at the immense sense of loss I feel as I drive away from her. Every cell in my body is screaming at me to turn around and go back to my mate but I know that it is just not possible right now. With dread and deep regret I manage to make my way home, drudge my way upstairs and wallow in my room for the next hour.

At eight o'clock my father finally calls me into his study so that we can make the most important call of my very long existence. Dad dials Aro's direct number and after what seems like forever, although the phone only rings three times, he answers. Thankfully, I can hear everything that is said because, frankly, being in the dark about any aspect of this conversation would be positively unbearable.

"Carlisle! How have you been old friend?" Aro's voice wafts through the line. He has always creeped me out a bit despite the fact that he is honest and sincere. Even his thoughts are forthright, which I have to admit is quite rare. Dad takes a moment to aimlessly catch up with his old acquaintance before jumping right into the purpose for our call. After a few moments of idle chat, he finally leads into the matter at hand.

"Aro, I have fantastic news. Edward has found his mate." The delight in his voice is evident, which makes me both proud and grateful. "She is a lovely human girl, seventeen. The bond was initiated this afternoon and solidified this evening. From what I can tell, this is one of the strongest bonds I have ever seen." He is quiet for a moment as Aro reiterates the importance and sanctity of the bond before collecting her name and offering his blessing by granting us her protection rights. I smile widely and immediately start to think about how I would like to design the crest that I will present for her to wear. I probably should ask her how she would like to wear it, but I really want it to be a surprise. I'm thinking some kind of necklace would be best, considering that both Alice and Rosalie wear the crest around their necks just as Jasper, Emmett and I all wear it on a leather cuff around our wrists. I decide that a medium sized oval medallion hanging on a delicate chain, both made of platinum would look beautiful against her pale skin and delicate throat. I relay this request to my father and he assures me that he will call his jeweler in the morning. It is imperative that she wears it at all times, as it is the only tangible evidence that she has been granted her protection rights.

The shrill sound of Alice's phone rings around midnight, just as I am about to wear a hole into the floor that I have been pacing frantically for the last five hours. I am out the door instantly, my heart clenching painfully, when I hear the muffled sobs coming through the line but nothing compares to the complete devastation I feel when I hear her strangled cry,

"… _Edward_."

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Do you want to explore this story any further? Just let me know.

Lots of Love,

Laila xx


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! Wow. The response to this story is unreal. Here is the next chapter, there's not much change from the original. The changes are coming but not just yet. Thank you so much for your support, I love you all!

Thank you so very much to princess07890 for being my beta and my supporter.

Let's be friends on Twitter and Facebook! lailabentz or Laila Bentz

Also, check out the Pintrest board for The Bunny Ranch. Just search The Bunny Ranch.

I own nothing.

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 **~Edward~**

" _Edward…"_

I can hear my father's footsteps behind me as I dart through the forest toward my intended. My own thoughts are scattered and frantic, making it extremely difficult to focus on his. I _am_ able to make out his concern, however. He is worried that we might have moved too fast for Bella's fragile human mind. That thought alone sends me into a guilt-ridden panic. I hate that my actions earlier today might be the cause of her obvious discomfort.

Her scent washes over me as we approach her modest home, and while her heady aroma slightly calms my frazzled nerves, the sound of her sobbing alone in her room only adds to my distress. Easily scaling the side of the house, I'm inside her room before her next heartbeat.

"Edward!"

The relief and joy in her voice is a stark contrast to what I heard over the phone, and it confuses me a little. None of that matters, though, when she throws her arms around me.

Her body feels soft and warm against me, and it takes all of my self-control not to take her full, pouty lips in a heated kiss. Especially when her actions are urging me on, and she pouts at my lack of compliance. I chuckle at her petulance, but drop a kiss to her forehead nonetheless, and quietly explain that we need to look her over before I can kiss her.

She nods her understanding, but tightens her grip on me as she looks over at my father. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying, but she still manages to look beyond beautiful to me.

"I'm sorry that I disturbed your night, Dr. Cullen, but I just couldn't stand another minute without my Edward."

She looks up at me with complete devotion shining in her beautiful brown eyes, and I can't suppress the possessive growl that reverberates from my chest at hearing her refer to me as _hers_. Completely ignoring my father's reminders to be cautious, I gently cradle her face in my large, strong hands, and bring my lips to hers. Her sigh of contentment is all the encouragement I need to finally push my tongue into her mouth.

Her hands fly up to my hair, tugging forcefully, as a deep moan escapes her throat. I can smell the spike of her arousal as she returns my kiss with fervor. Her mouth is soft, wet, warm, and tastes like heaven. I can only hope that she is not overwhelmed in the way that we feared, but rather she just couldn't stand to be separated from me as she stated. I deepen the kiss even more while wrapping myself completely around her. It feels incredible to kiss her without restraint, and, from the passion with which she responds, she agrees.

I pull away reluctantly, and remind her that my father still needs to look her over. She nods her head in agreement, but doesn't bother to hide the annoyance at his interruption. She turns in my embrace in order to face him, but pulls my arms tighter around her waist in a silent request for me to not let her go. I guess he will just have to work around me. I nuzzle the side of her face and hair while he shines a light into her eyes, and asks her some basic questions. He also checks her blood pressure and pulse, much to her chagrin. My father moves forward to touch her wrist at a snail's pace, so not to cause a possessive reaction from me, but Bella still manages to flinch just as he is about to make contact.

I can tell by the stiffness in her posture that the thought of another male touching her is repulsive, even if it's just my father. She apologizes profusely for her reaction, and then takes a deep breath, buries her face in my shoulder, and finally offers him her wrist. She looks completely uncomfortable, but I can definitely understand how she is feeling, because it is taking every ounce of control I have to suppress the growl threatening to leave my chest.

Thankfully, my father is not the least bit offended, and makes sure to tell us both that our instincts are perfectly natural, and not to feel badly about it. I try not to feel guilty when we both sigh in relief as he finally steps away from us.

She smiles smugly when he gives her a clean bill of health, to which he responds internally with a raised eyebrow. _She's feisty. You've got your work cut out for you taking care of that one._ With one last smirk, and well wishes to Bella, he is out the window, and on his way back to my mother.

"Stay?"

"Of course, always."

I brush my fingers through her hair, pulling her tightly to my chest for a moment before leading her back to her bed. After removing my jeans and shirt, I climb in beside her, wrapping her tightly in my embrace, prepared to spend the rest of the night holding my love. I am grateful that, although I don't require a full night's sleep, I'm still able to, granting me the experience of sleeping next to my mate. Much to my surprise, she doesn't fall asleep right away.

"Tell me about your family. I noticed that Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Alice all have the same golden eyes, but that you, Rosalie, and Jasper do not. Why is that?"

"Well, I was born in 1901 but reached full maturity in 1918. I'm Carlisle and Esme's biological son, and Rosalie's biological brother, so I guess that makes us hybrids. Jasper is Emmett and Rosalie's son, so he is really my nephew. As a matter of fact, he just rejoined the family not too long ago. You see, he went off in search of his mate about forty years ago, and got caught up in a vampire war. Luckily, he found Alice in a diner one night, and that was that. Emmett and Rose also have a daughter, Maggie. She is staying with our friends in Alaska right now, much to Rosalie's dismay."

"Oh, wow. I wasn't aware that vampires could have offspring. But I guess that's the whole purpose of mating though, right?"

"Well, sort of. Vampire mating is a little different. Not all couples can reproduce. For instance, two vampires cannot procreate, but a male vampire and a human can, as well as two hybrids, or a hybrid and a human. It's a little confusing. The true purpose of our mating, however, is to ensure having a companion to walk the earth with. Eternity is a long time, and our nature is too animalistic for casual relationships."

"Why did your mom and dad, and Rosalie and Emmett, only have two kids each? And why haven't Jasper and Alice had any children?"

"Nature's way of population control, I suppose. Once mated, a female human, or hybrid, will only go into heat twice in her lifetime. However, it's up to the couple whether or not to take advantage of the fertility. Some mated pairs choose not to procreate, although that's nearly impossible, unless it's a human female with a vampire or hybrid male."

"What does _that_ mean?"

"Well, if the female of the pair is human, they can choose to change her immediately, and skip the reproduction phase."

"Is that what happened with Alice and Jasper?"

"Yes. Neither one of them wanted children, so he changed her immediately."

"Oh, wow." She looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "When will _I_ go into heat? Gosh, that sounds so crazy."

"Not to me, it doesn't." I reassure her with a smile while brushing a strand of her beautiful, silky hair behind her ear. "You won't go into heat until we consummate our bond. It could happen any time after that, although birth control will usually put it off for a year or so."

She looks shy and embarrassed, making me wish I could read her thoughts. I know, however, that she has the confidence to ask me anything she wants to, but I don't hesitate to encourage her anyway, "You can ask me anything, sweetheart. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Okay…Uh, well…do you _want_ to have children with me?" I hate that she feels insecure about asking me.

I laugh softly before answering her ridiculous question, "I know that you already know the answer to that, Bella, but I will answer you anyway. Yes, I most definitely want to have children with you. If it's at all possible, yes."

"Why did you say 'if it's at all possible'?" My Bella is so observant; she catches everything.

"Well, there are some mated pairs where the female never goes into heat. Like I said, nature's population control, I guess."

She looks so sad as she ponders this new information, "I really hope that doesn't happen to us. I mean, I'd like to wait until after I graduate high school before stopping birth control, if that's okay with you, but I would be absolutely devastated if we were never given the chance at all."

"Yes, I agree. That would be devastating to me as well."

I go ahead, and expand on that thought, just in case she's wondering. It's so frustrating to not be able to read her thoughts. "Any regular birth control method that stops ovulation will work. I would be happy to ask my father for a prescription if you'd like."

The room is silent for a moment while she considers her options; I smile before she even has a chance to voice her decision. "I appreciate your offer, but I think it would be best to be honest with my father. He's just going to have to understand that intimacy is part of our bond. Speaking of which, what should I tell him about our living arrangements? I refuse to spend my nights away from you."

"Well, my angel, according to vampire law, we are bound more tightly than human marriage, and once we consummate our bond, we will be _permanent_. There is really no negotiating at this point, with him, or anyone else for that matter. You are my mate, or my wife if he would rather think of it that way, and you will live with me. I am willing to stay here, though, if you are worried about what people might think. It's up to you, baby."

"Oooh, I like that."

"What?"

"Baby."

"Okay, _baby_." I tease as I smile indulgently at her, "What about our living arrangements? Where would you like to stay?"

"I think I'd like to split our time between the houses, if that's okay."

"Then that's what we'll do."

"I have one more question."

"Ask me anything."

"Well, you said that you were born in 1901, but that you reached full maturity in 1918. So how old does that make you? I mean, obviously you're like a hundred and nine or something, but…humph, I guess what I'm saying is that you look older, like, I don't know, twenty or twenty one. As a matter of fact, I'm kind of amazed that you even pass for a high school student."

The innocence in her eyes is endearing.

"Well, my Bella, we hybrids continue to grow and age until we reach full maturity. It can take anywhere from fifteen to twenty years to reach that point, so it's not really an age, per se. I'm playing a younger role right now, so my clothes and styling reflect that. It's all an illusion, one that Alice is very good at creating. When I'm not playing a high school student, I look a bit older, between twenty five and thirty, but probably closer to thirty, in all honesty. I hope that doesn't bother you too much."

The spike in the scent of her arousal, and the way she attacks my mouth tells me that she doesn't mind at all. Apparently, she finds older men very, very attractive. Good for me.

She tilts her face up to me, silently requesting one last kiss before she finally lets sleep wash over her. I know that our conversation with Charlie isn't going to be easy, but it will surely be worth it in the end. I want my Bella to have access to her family even after she's fully changed.

My angel wakes long after me the next morning, and immediately snaps her head in my direction. I smile at her adoringly before pressing a sweet, gentle kiss to her delectable lips. She hums in appreciation, but pulls away before I can deepen it, citing morning breath. I hope she gets over that insecurity quickly, because nothing can make her undesirable in my eyes. She smells wonderful to me, especially in the morning when the perfume of soap has faded, and her natural scent is the strongest.

I head down to the kitchen to fix her breakfast while she gets dressed, silently thanking God that Charlie has already left for the day. I know that we have to tell him, but Carlisle isn't sure that we should tell him everything. I really want to be honest with him, since vampire mating is a helluva lot different than human dating. I honestly think that he would be wearier of the intensity of our bond if we didn't explain it, especially since Bella and I agreed to be honest about our sleeping arrangements.

According to vampire law, we are able to disclose our nature to our intended and his or her immediate family. Charlie and Renee will also be covered under Bella's protection rights, but they won't know any of this unless we tell them. I sigh heavily at the dilemma.

Before I'm able to sink too far into my wallowing thoughts, Bella bounds down the stairs. She breathes a sigh of relief when she snakes her arms around my waist. Savoring the comfort of her small body against mine, I hold her tight against me as I automatically begin breathing my scent into her skin and hair. I am pleased that my scent lingers, albeit faintly, from yesterday, and I relish the thought that it will only get stronger with time. I can't wait for when we consummate our bond completely, because then our scents will fuse to each other's body permanently, not that it will stop the ritual of scent marking, which we are both currently doing. It amazes me how she instinctually breathes and rubs herself against me.

When she finally lifts her face to me, we spend a moment blowing and breathing into each other's mouth before fusing our lips and tongues together. I don't pull away until I'm satisfied that she is thoroughly saturated in my scent. I love that she's as eager to mark me as hers as I am to mark her as mine.

She smiles brightly when I finally pull away, and the sentiment falls from her perfect pouty lips, "Mine." I chuckle at the same time my heart fills with pride at her possessiveness, and say it right back to her. "Mine." One final kiss to her rosy lips, and she finally sits down to eat the French toast that I made for her. As much as her calm demeanor makes me happy, I still feel the need to make sure she's okay with everything we talked about last night.

"I hope I didn't overwhelm you last night with all of the information I threw at you. I know it can be a lot to take in at once."

"Not at all. I actually feel more settled and in control now that I have a better understanding of the entire situation. I'm really happy, Edward; please don't doubt that."

There is nothing but honesty and adulation shining reflected in her voice, and her beautiful brown eyes reflect a calm, clear appreciation of our bond, as well as a tremendous sense of joy. I can't help but smile at my findings.

"When we sit down to talk this afternoon, sweetheart, we are going to have to discuss how you want to handle your parents. You know, figure out how _much_ you want to tell them and when."

I tenderly brush a wayward strand of hair away from her beautiful face to ease some of her tension. She is deep in thought for a moment, but surprises me when she finally speaks.

"I understand that we will have to discuss it further, you know, with your family and all, but I think it would be best to be completely honest with my father. He is very close friends with the elders of the Quileute tribe down on the La Push Reservation, Especially the Chief, Billy Black. My father has been aware of the tribe's legends, and he's worked closely with the shape-shifters, or, as most people on the rez refer to them, 'the wolves', for as long as he's been the police chief in this town.

"He knows that Billy's son, Jacob, as well as several other Quileute boys, are shape shifters, and he is aware of their mating rituals. He loves and accepts Jacob just the way he is. Because of this knowledge, I believe that he'll be able to handle our news. He may not like it, but he will understand the nature of our connection. He would be far more upset with the intensity of our relationship if we gave him no explanation. I honestly don't think he will be able to accept it any other way, and he most certainly will not allow sleepovers without an explanation whatsoever."

Her maturity amazes me. "I agree with you one hundred percent. We will talk to my dad about it this afternoon." I punctuate my statement with a soft kiss to her temple, to which she easily leans into. It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that we have been together for less than twenty four hours. It feels like ages. I do have one question though, "You mentioned before that Jacob is your best friend; but how is that possible if you only moved here a few days ago?"

"Even though I lived in Phoenix for the last fifteen years, Jacob and I basically grew up together. I spent every summer, Christmas, and spring break here, but never got to know any of the local kids because we spent all of our time on the reservation. Billy would watch me while my dad worked, and, sometimes, when we were little, Jacob and I would have to stay with Mrs. Clearwater if there was official 'wolf' business to attend to during that time. Needless to say, by the time we respectively reached thirteen and eleven, Jacob and I spent a lot of time alone together, and we made it a point to stay connected even when I was in Phoenix. I can assure you, though, that nothing has ever happed between us. He's like a brother to me, nothing more. There's nothing to be jealous of; besides, I like _older_ men."

Her flirtatious comment and alluring smile, combined with the way she kisses me, make me forget all about my jealousy over Jacob.

All eyes are on us and our entwined hands as we pull into the parking lot of Forks High School. Some students are shocked that I have finally shown interest in someone outside my family, and some are shocked that Bella would attach herself to someone so quickly, having just arrived yesterday. The worst of the thoughts, however, are the ones filled with jealousy and disappointment.

I suppress a warning growl and the natural urge to fully claim my mate when I hear Mike Newton's thoughts after seeing Bella and me together for the first time. His plan, in his mind, to win Bella over is full proof. He has decided to wait until their shared second period English class to approach her. At that time, he intends to 'fill her in' on the social downfalls of dating me. Silly human boy. As pointless as his efforts will be, I can't deny that it stirs something very primal and possessive that is deeply ingrained in me. Before I realize what I'm doing, I'm snarling under my breath at the child while practically wrapping myself around her. She will never reject my displays of affection and possessiveness, much to my satisfaction, Bella merely burrows down deeper into my embrace. I shoot a glare at the boy as we pass, and I can't deny the sense of satisfaction I feel when he cowers in fear.

The girls in the school are just as bad, or even worse, in some cases. Lauren Mallory has now made it her 'life mission' to 'show me what a real woman can do'-complete with visuals. Gross. No one could ever compete with my Bella. I know the moment she recognizes Lauren's intent, because her body stiffens at the same time that her arm tightens around my waist. Her beautiful brown eyes narrow into slits, making her look positively lethal. That, in itself, is incredibly arousing.

I wrap my arms around her firmly as she moves to stand in front of me. It is a blatant show of possession, but I surely don't mind. As a matter of fact, I have to work hard at suppressing my urge to purr in contentment. I do, however, allow myself to indulge in nuzzling the side of her head.

As I lead her through the hall to her first class, she confides to me how surprising it was to have such an overwhelming urge to mark and protect me. She sends me a sheepish look but admits that she's anything but remorseful. As a matter of fact, she says that she's still contemplating how she can get away with ripping Lauren's hair out by the roots. I make a point of telling her that her reaction is perfectly normal, and that she doesn't have to feel the least bit guilty for it, before taking the time to explain my own feelings of jealousy and possessiveness to her. I can tell by her expression that she's still a little bit unsure, but hearing my struggle makes hers seem less embarrassing.

These feelings come to a head at lunchtime.

We are in a fairly secluded part of the courtyard when we approach my family hand in hand. Emmett grabs Bella in an enthusiastic bear hug while swinging her around. My mind is so clouded with fury that I'm not even able to read his mind. The only thing that registers with me is how Bella flinches away as he reaches for her and how she pushes against him when he embraces her.

Deep down, I assume that he is just trying to welcome my beloved to the group, but that knowledge doesn't deter my instincts one bit. I pull her from his embrace at the same time that a deep, threatening growl erupts from my chest. It doesn't matter that Emmett is family, at this point, and it doesn't matter that he outweighs me by nearly forty pounds. All that matters, in this moment, is that he has his hands on my mate.

 _Mine_.

Bella's hands tighten their grip on my shirt, and she actively tries to calm me down. Once she is out of his grasp, I'm able to get a read on his thoughts, and it really annoys me that Emmett's thoughts show that this little stunt was planned. I quirk a questioning eyebrow at him, and he merely lets his thoughts wander to how else he could've possibly explained that family ties mean nothing where our mates are concerned. With one last menacing look toward my brother, I turn my attention to find a very displeased Bella.

On cue, Alice finds us in the courtyard, and gracefully jumps right into my arms. Bella's reaction is instant and intense. I barely have time to try and set Alice down before Bella is roughly shoving Alice away from me. "Get away! Don't you dare touch him, Alice; he is _mine_!" Her chest is heaving as she openly glares at my sister while making no pretenses about how blatantly she positions herself between us. I can tell that the little display is hard on Jasper, but it is clear that he was in on Alice's and Emmett's little scheme. Instinctively, I reach out to wrap my arm around Bella's heaving shoulders, and pull her tiny form tightly up against me. I kiss and nuzzle the side of her head to try and offer at least a small amount of comfort before explaining what just happened to her. It is clear, by this point, that the demonstration was to benefit Bella and me, and, as much as I still want to be upset that they went to such extremes to show us, I do understand that we would never have been prepared for the overwhelming emotions if someone outside the family had grabbed either one of us first.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, but better us than Mike or Lauren, right?" Alice's expression is a mix of smug and amused. I want to stay annoyed with her, but it is impossible. Bella's sweet voice pulls me from my reverie.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Alice. I just couldn't stop myself."

"Don't you worry about it, Bella; your reaction was perfectly normal. We will talk about it a little bit more later today, but I just needed you to be aware of how deep and primal these feelings are. It will make it much easier for both of you to deal with the opposite sex, now that you know how it will affect your mates. There is just no room to be nice, or hope that they 'get the hint'. If you know what I mean. You will have to be absolutely clear in your rejections. You don't want to end up hurting your mate for the sake of letting someone down easy."

Images of other guys touching my Bella rush through my mind, causing me to tighten my grip on her. Those images alone and the feelings of pure jealousy they evoke in me solidify my resolve to never put her in that position. I turn to her and vow to never let another female feel like they have a chance with me. I lean in to place a kiss on her pillow-like lips, and she returns the promise.

I am a little unsettled after Alice and Emmett's demonstration, and I can tell that my Bella is, as well. There is nothing, outside of constant reassurance, that will ease either of us at this point, so I gently take her hand, and lead her to our shared Biology class.

Bella calmly explains to Mr. Banner that she fell ill yesterday, and, after her sincere apology, Mr. Banner directs her to the only available seat left in the class. I am grateful that the seat is beside me. There is no possible way I would be able to function having her in the same room without a way to touch her.

She slips her small hand into mine as she situates herself in the empty seat. Her disposition alone tells me that she is agitated, but it's her troubled eyes that tell me that she is starting to feel more and more overwhelmed. Guilt instantly washes over me. She is unhappy, and I am the cause.

Her big, beautiful brown eyes look up at me, and it's clear that she just didn't get enough reassurance. It is painfully clear that she wants nothing more at this moment than to crawl into my lap and rub herself all over me. The extreme urge to scent mark is confusing, yet uncontrollable, and we're both having difficulty tampering down the yearning.

"I hate that I can't smell myself on you, Edward. I can't stand it. Why is my scent gone? Why doesn't it last? I don't want you to smell like Alice!"

She is near hysterical by the end of her rant, and the tears pooling in her eyes make my chest ache. "I'm so sorry, baby. I know how you feel, though. Smelling Emmett on you is making my skin crawl." Her sharp intake of breath indicates that she hadn't thought about it that way. "Oh, Edward. Fix it. _Please_."

I lean over, and breathe my scent onto her face and into her hair, despite the strange looks we are garnering from our peers. It doesn't take her long before she is instinctively rubbing her face into my neck and over my jawline. She finally pulls away with a resigned sigh, "I guess that will have to do for now." I place a tender kiss to the top of her head, and reluctantly turn my attention to the front of the room. The last thing I want to do is get Bella into trouble with Mr. Banner.

The rest of the day is painfully long, and the fact that Bella has another male's scent on her does nothing to quell my agitation. By the time the final bell rings, I am wound so tightly that nothing besides Bella's presence is able to calm me, and even her touch isn't able to bring me the solace I need. What I _need_ is to get my brother's goddamn scent off of her and Alice's off of me.

I drive like a bat out of hell, and manage to get us home in record time. Sweeping my Bella up gently into my arms, I bound the stairs, and have us stripped and in the shower within six seconds flat. I don't have time to worry if my need to rid her of my brother's infuriating smell is frightening to her or not, because I am completely caught up in frantically cleaning her perfect, beautiful body. Thankfully, as his scent washes down the drain, I am able to regain some semblance of control, and notice that she is reciprocating with just as much urgency.

As I rinse the final remnants of shampoo out of my hair, I'm finally calm enough to enjoy the sight of her naked and wet in my shower. Holy hell! My Bella is _naked_ and _wet_ in my shower. Starting at her cute little toes, I allow my eyes to rake slowly up the soft creamy flesh of her impossibly long legs to the small patch of dark hair at the juncture of her shapely thighs, over the gentle curve of her hips, the sharp narrowing of her waist to the generous swell of her breasts. Taking a shaky albeit unnecessary breath, I force my eyes away from her incredible chest to the delicate shape of her collar bones and the graceful line of her neck. Her full, pouty lips are impossibly red and begging to be kissed. Finally, I snap my eyes up to her dark exotic ones and see the same all-consuming lust reflected right back at me. Her chest is rising and falling rapidly, and her breath is coming out in pants. I don't even have time to make a coherent decision before she is in my arms and my tongue is deep inside her warm, wet mouth.

My thoughts are incoherent as I struggle to keep the animal at bay. I don't want to disgust or frighten my Bella with that side of myself. I use all of my concentration to keep my touches soft and my sounds human as I pull her soft form flush against me.

"No. Please don't hold back, Edward."

Her words confuse me, yet they arouse me at the same time, and I'm unable to stop the low growl that escapes me.

"Ungh, yes. More, Edward. I need more. _Growl_ at me."

She claws frantically at my shoulders, trying to bring herself even closer to me while offering the soft delicate flesh of her neck for a mark. Her actions, combined with the heady scent of her arousal, is driving me mad with desire. I don't think that I have the strength to stop us.

Reaching down to grasp her bottom, I hoist her up, urging her to wrap her long legs around me. This lines her up perfectly with my throbbing erection, and I lose all sense of restraint as I look up into her eyes, needing to see that she needs me as much as I need her.

Love, trust, and desire are reflected back at me, and it is all I need to make the decision to push her down on to me. Before I get the chance to, however, she is being stripped from my arms, and pulled into my bedroom by my very annoying sisters. It's frustrating to me that this is the second time that my mind reading abilities have let me down today. I can't understand how I didn't hear the thoughts of my family as they approached.

Without thinking twice, I lunge for them growling menacingly, knowing that I won't get as much as an inch before my brothers are restraining me. I don't even have a chance to be embarrassed about our state of undress, or the activities we were engaging in, because the most heartbreaking sob tear out of my Bella's chest the moment we are separated. The agony in her cries is insurmountable, making it nearly impossible for both of my brothers, along with my father, to hold me back. A deafening roar, filled with desperation and anguish, escapes me, and I fight with everything that I am to free myself from their iron clad hold.

Somehow, my sisters manage to take Bella to Alice's room and covered her in an emerald green plush robe, which is quite a feat, considering that she is fighting their every attempt. White hot rage colors my vision when I hear her calling for me.

" _Edward_! Please…No, Alice. Stop trying to keep him from me, he is MINE! Edward!" A choked sob cuts off her shouting rant, and it nearly destroys me. I'm only mildly mollified when I hear my sister's voice, but I'm momentarily distracted by the fact that Alice is blocking me. Why on earth would she be blocking me?

"Oh, Bella, we aren't trying to take him from you. I swear. You guys were just getting a little carried away, and we don't want anything to happen to you. You want to stay healthy for him, don't you?"

"But I _need_ him, Alice. I need him to _breathe_. I need him inside of me, I need to smell him on my skin, and taste him on my tongue. God, please, Alice, I _need_ him."

"Okay, Bella, we'll take you to him. But you have to promise me that you won't consummate your bond yet. Your mind and body aren't ready. Do you understand? This is very important, Bella. You could die if you rush this."

"I understand." She is defeated, but resigned. I think she would agree to anything at this point just to get back to me. I know because I feel exactly the same way.

They take a moment to clean up my Bella's face and my father forces me to slip on a pair of boxer-briefs. I hate the thought of anything between us, but I understand that it is necessary…for now.

When she is finally escorted back into my- _our_ room, I immediately scoop her up, and place her gently on the bed. She clings tightly to me, tilting her face up for a kiss, to which I easily comply. I hear my father's voice reminding me not to consummate, and demanding that we meet him in his study in half an hour to discuss the progress of our bond, as he closes the door behind him, leaving us alone at last.

I know from his thoughts that my father wishes to discuss birth control, disclosure to Bella's parents, and our reactions to contact with the opposite sex with us. He wants to make sure that Bella fully understands her reaction, and prepare her for the surge in intensity that is inevitable before we take the steps toward finally coming together as one. The possessive instincts are immediate and intense. As a matter of fact, he is concerned about how we will fare at school with how deeply we were both affected earlier. It seems that our bond is stronger than anything he has ever witnessed. His thoughts show that he is surprised that we both reacted so similarly. I guess we will hear his theories on that later, right now, I have pillow soft lips and a warm, wet tongue to concentrate on. Not to mention a perfect female form pressed against me with an abundance of curves, curves I can't seem to keep my hands off of.

Judging by the soft sighs and sensual moans coming from my angel, she doesn't seem to mind one bit.

* * *

What do we think about the family? What should they do? What are your theories about why Alice is blocking him?

Smooches,

Laila


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying this story! Just a side note: The first three chapters are nearly identical to the first version, the changes start in the next chapter, although there are only a few. The big changes start in chapter 5.

I started a Pintrest board for this story as well so you can either search The Mating Bond or The Bunny Ranch and either will lead you to me.

Lets be friends on Twitter and Facebook! lailabentz or Laila Bentz

Thank you to my beta princess07890 for making me sound smart xx

I own nothing.

* * *

 **~Edward~**

"Isabella, I know that my family keeps intervening, and that it may seem confusing to you. I'd like to tell you why, if that's alright with you?"

My father's voice is strong and sure here in his office. Only I, with my gift, can detect the uncertainty in his thought process about why Bella has taken to my nature thus far with little outward signs of distress.

His mind is firmly lost in memories of Emmett, and how he physically struggled through the process of mating until Rosalie, in a panic, insisted that Carlisle change him immediately, the 'old fashioned way'. He clears his throat, unnecessarily, and then launches into the story that he hopes will ease some of my Bella's confusion. The problem, is that something fundamentally has shifted inside of me, and his explanations, no matter how good his intentions are, just don't seem to be enough to placate me any longer. There's an agitation, a restlessness, deep within me that's growing stronger every minute.

"You see, Emmett was a human working on the railroad in Gatlinburg, Tennessee when Rosalie bonded to him. It was 1935, and we were just passing through the area. Of course, the bond was immediate, and they wasted no time consummating it. I warned them to take it slowly, on Aro's advice, but they didn't listen. I suppose I should have asked more questions, and done a little more research myself so that we were prepared for the chaos that their rash decision and actions caused. They say that hindsight is twenty-twenty, you know?

"Well, immediately after their consummation, Rosalie went into heat, and conceived their first child, Jasper. Meanwhile, Emmett was getting more and more aggressive. By the time that Rosalie went into her second heat, nearly four months after Jasper was born, Emmett was very sick, and practically uncontrollable. No one could come near him, Rosalie, or Jasper.

"Rosalie was frightened, and, although there was never a doubt that he would ever harm her or their offspring, the pure animal rage was unsettling for her. You see, Bella, his human mind just couldn't handle the surge of the bonding hormone. Because they didn't allow the hormone to ease into his system, and make the subtle changes necessary, he became feral. And, to be honest, it nearly killed him.

"By the time Edward was able to finally get a read on his mind, it was too late. He was physically sick, and mentally mad. It took Edward, Esme, Rosalie, _and_ me to restrain him enough, even in his weakened condition, mind you, to be able to infect him with my venom. Thankfully, Aro was right, and it counteracted the effects of the hormone, but we are very lucky that we didn't lose him. As you know, we would have lost Rosalie as well, and I'm not sure my Esme would've been able to handle that."

My Bella's eyes are wide, and, although she expresses sympathy to Rosalie and Emmett's situation, she's not convinced. While she makes it clear that she takes my father's word as absolute truth, she can't help but assume that there is more to the explanation, not to mention a mild frustration about how imperfect the vampire mating ritual is if possible death is the price you pay for giving in to the extreme urges that come along with it. I feel nothing short of pride when she voices her opinions.

"I don't mean to be argumentative, Dr. Cullen, but I just can't seem to reconcile in my head why giving in to the nature of our bond can cause such detrimental side effects. Does it always happen that way? What if there is no one around to intervene? Would the human mate just die? That doesn't seem right to me."

My father is taken aback by her boldness, but isn't the least bit upset by it. In fact, he feels an insurmountable sense of pride at her maturity, determination, and insightfulness.

"You bring up a good point, Bella, and you're right. What happened to Emmett and Rosalie is extremely uncommon. I hope you can understand, though, that we are only trying to keep you safe. We would hate for anything to happen to you, even if it is unlikely. We want this transition to go as smoothly and as painlessly as possible."

She nods her head in acceptance of his explanation, but also makes the point that she is still annoyed at their interference. I squeeze her hand lightly, silently reassuring her that I feel the same way. I'll admit that I've not paid much attention to the details of the mating bond in the past, but I do remember with alarming clarity how the situation with Emmett affected us all.

"Dr. Cullen, you mentioned earlier about a hormone that's released at the onset of mating. Can you explain that to me? I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

Carlisle smiles warmly before launching into a very scientific explanation about how the hormone works.

"You see Bella, some humans, such as yourself, are born with a dormant vampire gene. It's not necessarily a gene that indicates that you have vampire in your ancestry; it's just a gene that some humans are predisposed to have. These are the humans who are intended to be vampire mates. The natural pull of these dormant genes, however, are strong enough to bring their intended vampire into the proximity of their human without even a conscience thought. For example, as Edward's destined mate, you would have made your way to him, or he to you eventually, with or without our help.

"Now, at the moment the bond is established, the HMv2 hormone is produced and then released for the first time by the hypothalamus gland into the bloodstream. The first surge of the hormone is quite a shock to the system, and can be quite painful and overwhelming to experience."

She shudders at the memory of the pain she experienced the first time she saw me across the cafeteria, but easily pulls her attention back to my father.

"The hormone continues to be secreted, and, as intimate contact increases between the human mate and the vampire, the surge of the hormone increases as well. Our theory is that if you move slowly into intimacy, you are actually giving your body time to adjust to the new, very invasive hormone, thus making your transition into an immortal much smoother and much less traumatic on your fragile human body."

Bella easily grasps the basic biology of the situation, but she still seems frustrated with the fact that we are urged to resist the very nature of our bond, and what it's encouraging us to do; she refuses to just accept my father's rationale.

"Pardon me for asking such a personal question, but Edward told me that Esme is his biological mother." My father nods at her with a kind smile, urging her to continue her question. With a deep breath and red cheeks she asks, "Did you and Esme have as hard a time as Rosalie and Emmett?"

I swear my father would be blushing if he could, and his thoughts are clearly embarrassed due to talking about this with me. You would never guess that he was anything less than composed by his calm outward demeanor, however.

"No. No, we didn't. We also didn't consummate our bond immediately. You see, my Esme was only sixteen at the time. We weren't able to wait long; the bond would not allow it, but we tried our best to resist consummation. Where we went wrong, though, is that I was completely uneducated in the mating process. I didn't realize that she had already gone through the process of changing with the release of the hormone. By mutual choice, I infected her with my venom, and changed her traditionally…unnecessarily, we later found out. I hate that I caused my mate undue pain, but we are much more educated now. I assure you."

Bella is thoughtful for a long while, but when she finally speaks, it's with confidence and determination. She is absolutely breathtaking, and I squeeze her hand to let her know that I fully support her thoughts.

"Thank you for your concern, Dr. Cullen. I really do appreciate it. But, with all due respect, I feel it's only fair for you to share all you know about the mating process with me and my Edward, and then allow us to make the decision on how to proceed _ourselves_."

My father bristles a little at Bella's blunt statement, but he can't deny that she is absolutely correct. I want to keep her safe, but it really should be our decision on how exactly we want to proceed. My family should be here to guide us, not dictate to us. I go ahead, and voice my agreement just so that he knows that I'm one hundred percent on my mate's side - just as I should be. His posture relaxes, and his expression softens at my admission, and his thoughts reflect that, although he is worried that we will rush into a physical relationship, he is also proud of us for taking control of our situation.

Having come to terms with the fact that we aren't going to let them dictate to us, he immediately delves into sharing everything he knows about the mating process. After an entire afternoon of explanations and phone calls, Bella and I decide to let her sleep on the information, and come up with a timeline that works best for us. I know that my father isn't thrilled with the plan, but he's not about to interfere. I'm not a child, and I refuse to be treated like on for one second longer. We still have her father to deal with this evening, so, with hugs goodbye, we make our way to Bella's house.

I wander through the lower level of the modest home that she shares with her father while she prepares dinner. I spend the hour it takes for her to prepare her special stroganoff looking at pictures of her throughout her childhood.

To say that Bella was a beautiful child is an understatement of epic proportions. Looking at her pictures, cute isn't a word I would use to describe her. Even during her awkward, pre-adolescence she was lovely. And now, as a young adult, she is absolutely gorgeous. Her long dark brown hair is striking against her flawless, ivory skin. Large, deep brown eyes are framed by long, thick lashes that sweep upward toward her delicately arched brows. An elegant, straight nose finishes off her beautifully proportioned bone structure. And her lips - lips so full and so lush that they almost appear too large for her delicate features, are so enticing that no word other besides erotic could suffice.

For being so young, her body is soft and curvaceous. Full breasts, a narrow waist, sensually curved hips, and a robust behind taper down into long shapely legs, complete with ample thighs. Skinny is a word that would never describe my Bella. Her gorgeous body is reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour, back when women looked like _women_. Some may even be so ignorant as to say that she is heavy, or full figured. But not me. No, my Bella is _voluptuous_. She is stunning. She is _all_ woman, and she is _mine_.

I make my way back into the kitchen when I hear Charlie's car turn onto her street. I wrap my arms around her, trying to offer comfort and security, because I know that this will be one of the hardest conversations she will ever have in her life.

"Are you ready for this, baby?"

She looks up at me with all the confidence in the world. She is truly ready to move forward with me. I can honestly say that her assuredness makes my heart soar.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Edward. I can't wait to tell him about you so that we can _really_ start our life together."

"Oh, baby, me, too. I feel the same way."

Sadly, our tender moment is cut short by Charlie Swan entering the front door. I purposely left my car parked on the street in front of the house because, for one, I didn't want to hide the fact that I'm here because that is just disrespectful, and, secondly, because I wanted to give him a bit of a heads up. This is going to be a very big, life-changing day for him, and the last thing I want to do is catch him completely off guard. I think he deserves that, at least.

"Bells?"

She reaches over, and slips her tiny hand into mine just as he rounds the corner into the kitchen. "Hey, dad." The moment is tense and awkward as he just stands there, gaping at our joined hands. I can tell by his thoughts that he recognizes me, and that several scenarios are running through his head, each one equally horrifying. I don't think Bella is going to get the acceptance she's hoping for.

"Bella, what's going on here?"

His tone is far harsher than he intends it to be, and he feels instantly remorseful when he takes in the hurt expression of his daughter. Her anger is palpable, as well as his fear. Not that he fears me, mind you, he only fears that I've come to take her away. In a sense, he's absolutely correct. I decide to jump in, to avoid Bella saying things to her father that she will regret later.

"I'm Edward Cullen, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you." I try to keep my tone soft and polite, offering my hand in greeting. It takes him a few moments, but, eventually, he does grunt a reply before reaching out to shake my hand, squeezing with as much force as he can. I don't bother to wince, because it would refute everything we are trying to do here today; being completely honest with him. He does notice the coolness of my skin, adding to his suspicion. But it's not a glaringly obvious detail, like he expected. He assumed that my skin would feel like ice, and that it would feel like stone, but that is such an exaggeration of the truth. Yes, we run a few degrees cooler than a normal human, but we're not walking ice sculptures or marble statues. Jeez. As for the texture of my skin, well, it feels just like skin. The only difference is that it heals itself immediately. For instance, if I were to be cut, the gash would be healed by the time the blade left my skin. I _am_ immortal, after all.

Thankfully, Bella interrupts his fruitless attempt at crushing my hand just as I start to worry that he is going to injure himself.

"Why don't you go change for dinner, dad? I made stroganoff."

With one more gruff and accusing glare, he turns on his heels, and stomps his way upstairs. This isn't going to be good.

Bella makes short work of serving a plate for herself, one for her father, and one for me. I have a sudden urge to claim her, and have to fight hard to keep from following through with it. The all-consuming desire to constantly touch her are ever-present, and I feel that we are both making progress in balancing that need, along with conducting ourselves in a socially-acceptable manner as far as PDA is concerned.

It's the sudden impulses to claim, mark, and consume that are much harder to manage. It's almost as if the bond takes control over our bodies, making resisting it an impossible feat. The way she is looking at me, longingly, through lust filled eyes doesn't help matters. At all.

 _Good God_ , she is exquisite.

 _Mine_.

Just as I wrap my arms around her and attack her mouth with my own, her father clears his throat behind us. It's is clear in his mind that he feels that I'm being disrespectful, and I suppose that he has a valid point, for his human way of thinking anyway. I only feel a sliver of remorse for snarling at him, as I register this fact. Then I feel just a wee bit more for going back to her mouth when I smell a spike in her arousal at my threatening sounds.

Grudgingly, I pull away from my beloved, but do not offer an apology. I haven't done anything wrong, and I refuse to imply that our actions are improper. His reaction is anything but accepting, but that is to be expected, I suppose. He is her father, after all.

I love that she isn't embarrassed by our display. Instead, she smiles brightly, offering her father a seat while placing a steaming plate of the stroganoff in front of him. She wisely waits until he's sitting before she speaks. He makes no attempt to hide the fact that he's eyeing her warily, and his thoughts betray his distress that she's about to announce what, in fact, she is about to announce.

Charlie Swan is a bright man. He also has enough knowledge, and has had enough contact with the shape-shifters of La Push to have a keen understanding of how mating rituals within the supernatural realm work. He's also aware, much to his dismay, that there is very little he can do about it. His awareness, however convenient, doesn't make this announcement any easier for him to hear. And according to him, he'll be damned if he makes it easy on us.

Thankfully, my Bella breaks the heavy silence before I allow Charlie's thoughts to really sour my mood.

"Dad, I've got some really wonderful and exciting news."

He barely manages to give her a grunt of acknowledgement while continuing to shovel his dinner into his mouth.

She squeezes my hand tightly as she takes a deep, calming breath. "I've met and bonded with my soulmate." Her eyes are clear and confident, veiled with complete adoration as she shoots me a shy, sweet smile. All of her confidence returns when she turns her attention back to him, "Edward is Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's son, and he is absolutely perfect for me."

He looks at me with complete and utter revulsion before addressing his daughter, "I'm perfectly aware of who he is, and I won't stand for this. Do you have any idea what you're dealing with, Bella? He's a freak, and so is the rest of his family. I will not sit back, and allow my daughter to associate with the likes of them. End of story."

My Bella gasps in horror before I cut in, "With all due respect, Charlie, there is nothing you can do to keep her away from me. And while I _do_ understand your concerns, I will not have you refer to me, or my family as freaks." Bella sends him a seething glare while winding her arms around my waist. I've got to make it clear to him that separating us isn't an option and make it clear to her that nothing will keep us apart.

Just as I'm about to speak, he barks out, "Didn't your parents teach you to address your elders with sir or ma'am, _Edward_? Show some respect, boy!"

It takes everything inside me to not tear this man limb from limb. Not wanting to upset my mate, however, I address him in the smoothest tone possible. The only indication of my irritation is my one raised eyebrow. "In that case, _Charlie_ , it would be _Dr. Cullen_ to you. I was merely trying to keep things comfortable and casual, but if you insist on formalities, then I, and my one hundred and nine years, would expect to be addressed as Dr. Cullen."

His face turns an alarming shade of puce before I continue, "Considering that this is a shocking and difficult situation for you, Charlie, I'm willing to go with Chief Swan and Edward. As my Bella's father, I'm willing to extend you that courtesy. I will not, however, tolerate me, my family, and especially my mate being disrespected again. Do I make myself clear?"

His curt nod is the only confirmation I need before I move into the more important topics. But not before noticing the distinct scent of my Bella's arousal in the air around us. I smirk at the thought of her enjoying the dominant and authoritative side of me. _You'll get plenty more of that, sweet girl, you just wait and see._

"That being said, I believe that we have much to discuss, including our living and sleeping arrangements, how much time you want to spend with your daughter, how much you actually want to know about the situation, and whether or not you'd like to exercise your protection rights."

He struggles to maintain a passive look on his face, but I can clearly hear that his thoughts are reeling. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to start with, Chief?"

Completely ignoring my nicety, he turns to his daughter, "Do you even have a clue what you are getting yourself into, Bella? Jesus Christ, almighty, do you even know what they _are_? How could you allow this to happen?"

I let Bella handle this herself. I do, however, squeeze her hand in support.

"Dad, I know that this probably isn't what you had in mind for me, but I need you to understand that I couldn't be happier about it. Just, please, try to see it from my point of view. For instance, you'll never have to worry about my safety. Edward will protect me at all costs. And you never have to worry about anyone ever breaking my heart, because Edward will be completely devoted to me until the end of time. I will still get to raise a family, God willing, and I will be loved until I cease to exist. What more could you possibly want for me?"

Despite my effort to try not to be inappropriate in front of her father, I can't help but pull her into my lap, nuzzle the side of her beautiful face and purr in contentment at her perfect words. Love. Yes, that is exactly what I feel.

My purring gets louder when she tangles her slender fingers into my hair and presses herself even closer to me. I know that we should really tone it down, but I can't find it in myself to care, and, judging by the blissful look on my Bella's gorgeous face, she doesn't seem to care either. I press one chaste, yet passionate kiss to her pillow soft lips, and then turn back to the resigned thoughts of her father.

"Is there really nothing I can do to stop this?" I hate that his voice sounds so… sad. Resigned. He also is completely creeped out by my purring. I might try to keep it to a minimum, but that just isn't possible, considering how much my Bella enjoys it.

"No, dad, it's done. You'd only succeed in killing me if you were to try and separate us now."

With the chief's heavy heart, we finally get down to discussing the details of how our lives will meld in the upcoming months. Of course, these plans are contingent upon how Bella and I continue to respond to our bond. If we need to get away, and be completely alone to bask in our bond, we won't hesitate to do so. As much as Bella's father hates the very idea, he at least understands, and accepts it now. I even dare to think that he may eventually warm up to the idea. It's hard to say, though, because he has such a deeply ingrained fear and misunderstanding of our kind, due to his close relationship with the wolves. I can tell by his thoughts that our bonding is something he is dreading to have to tell them.

It's ten o'clock by the time we finish our discussion; although he doesn't say anything out loud, I can hear the disapproval in his thoughts as I follow my mate up to her… _our_ … bedroom for the night. He absolutely refuses to acknowledge me as Bella's spouse, but that is the best human comparison that I can give him. I suppose he will just have to get used to it.

My Bella turns to me as I close the door behind us. I'm mesmerized by the seductive sway of her curvaceous hips, watching her make her way to where I'm standing. She doesn't stop until she is flush with my body, and I close my eyes when she trails her delicate hands up my arms, across my shoulders, and winds them around my neck, pulling me down to her level. She is so tiny in comparison to me.

I willingly wrap my arms around her waist, letting my hands drift down over her bottom where they begin to knead softly, while capturing her soft lips with mine, easily parting them with my tongue. When she pulls away to breathe, her voice catches me off guard.

"I want to see your fangs."

And, because Bella will always get what she wants where I'm concerned, I kiss her again, and allow them to grow slightly under the pressure of her tongue. I immediately feel the trickle of blood, and eagerly lap it up, allowing my venom to easily seal the wound. I'm not concerned about initiating an unwanted traditional change, because the wound I created is superficial. I would have to consciously inject a large dose of my venom directly into one of her veins, in order for that to happen, and it won't. Ever. I want her to experience the change naturally, the way it was intended.

She moans at the feel of my fangs against her tongue, and pulls back to look at me through lust filled eyes.

"Let me see."

I curl my lips back, exposing the long, needle sharp canines to her, and am instantly assaulted by the heavenly scent of her arousal.

"Oh my god, Edward, that is so sexy." Her normally husky voice is now dripping with sex, and she is shamelessly rubbing herself all over me, making me impossibly hard.

"I'm glad you think so." I can't help the self-satisfied smirk that appears on my face at her reaction to something about me that should be so scary for her. It's admittedly a turn on.

"Edward?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Can you…I mean…are you able to…you know… _feed_ from me?"

My breath hitches in my throat at the mere idea of taking sustenance from my angel. My _mate_. As appealing as it sounds to me, I want to make sure that she wouldn't be afraid or disgusted by the idea. Taking her hand, I lead her over to her full-sized bed. After carefully removing her clothes, leaving her only in her pink satin bra and panties, I discard my jeans, and pull her under the covers to lay cuddled beside me. This is certainly a conversation I don't want to have while standing in the middle of the room.

"I could, yes. Only if it were something that you'd like to experience, though. I don't need that to make me happy. Just having you in my life is enough."

Her innocent eyes are nearly enough to do me in. "It is possible, though?" She is pressing me, and, by the tone of her thoughts, this is something she is more than interested in.

"Yes. From what I understand, it is a very stimulating and erotic experience for a mated pair. In fact, it would deepen our bond even further. That is what's so sad about both my father and Rosalie. They both changed their mates the traditional way, so they lost out on an eternity of that experience."

Her thoughts seem to hone in on the possibility that we could spend the rest of our days sharing in that experience, and I rush to explain the phenomenon to her.

"It's called blood bonding. Do you remember what my father was explaining earlier about how your body is predisposed to be immortal? That you carry the dormant vampire gene?"

She nods eagerly, allowing her hand to creep underneath the two layers of my shirts, wanting to hear more about this ritual.

"Well, the hormone that your body is now producing because of our bond will automatically alter your DNA to make you immortal. It will occur naturally by the end of your second heat cycle. Unfortunately, my father didn't know this, and he changed my mother the traditional way. Regardless, if we allow your natural change to happen, then we will be able to blood bond eternally. Of course, only if you want to." I don't know what is making me feel shy about this information. Maybe it's because blood bonding is much more intimate, and I would be way more disappointed if she were to be uninterested in it.

"Oh, Edward. Of course I want that with you. I want everything with you. Bite me. I want to feel your teeth."

Her acceptance and encouragement is all I need. But not tonight. Not here in her room with her father mere feet down the hall. No, I will need to make this special for her. For _both_ of us. But first, I will need do some research to make sure that all of her needs are met, and that she's taken care of properly. Tonight, however, I've got a few things I would like to try with my beautiful girl, and all of them involve bringing her body the kind of pleasure it has never known before.

I let her know that I feel the same way as she does about the blood bonding, and that I will do it as soon as possible. She seems to be okay with waiting, as long as we do it soon. I waste no more time with discussion as I pull her soft, mostly bare, body flush against me, and press my tongue back into her warm wet mouth, taking my time to caress and explore each crevice as I deepen the kiss.

She frantically tugs at my shirt, trying desperately to get it off without pulling away from my lips. I smirk at the frustrated huff she lets out when I finally disentangle myself from her enough to yank my shirt and undershirt over my head.

Her lips are urgent against my neck, sucking and biting with every ounce of passion inside her, so I tilt my head to the side, giving her all the access she needs, while I reach around her back to unhook her bra, and slide it away to free her gorgeous breasts. If she feels anything like I do, then her ultimate goal is to leave a visible mark on me, but what she doesn't realize is that while I mark easily, but it also heals instantly.

Sensing her frustration, I let her know that, by the time her change is complete, she will be able to permanently mark me with her venom. It won't be easily seen with human eyes, but every supernatural being will easily be able to spot it. She pouts a little at having to wait to have her marks on me, but manages to focus more on how my hand is currently traveling up between her thighs instead.

"God, yes. Please, Edward."

When I finally reach the apex of her thighs, I groan loudly. She is so hot and so wet. I can feel the moisture through the flimsy silk fabric of her panties, and I can focus on nothing other than making her feel good. I _need_ her to be satisfied. The bond will not settle for anything less than bringing her complete and pure pleasure.

 _My mate._

She moans softly when I add the slightest bit of pressure over her clitoris, and then begins grinding her hot little body against my hand. My head is swimming with her scent as well as my own, making me feel surrounded by her…by us. It's only when I feel her warm, wet tongue flick out against my neck that I lose the last bit of self-restraint I'm so desperately trying to hold on to.

I thrust my tongue into her mouth at the same time that I rip the tiny scrap of silk from her body. Before she has a chance to react, I'm underneath the covers with my face planted firmly between her luscious thighs.

If there is a heaven on earth, I have just found it.

A possessive growl escapes my throat when I take in the first whiff of her arousal; it shifts to deep purring when I start lapping at her wetness. Her delicate hand finds its way into my hair, and she easily twines her fingers into the strands, pulling gently in time with my tongue. She starts writhing against my mouth when I pick up my pace, gently sliding one of my fingers inside of her. I savor each of her sounds, but purposely avoid bringing her to climax, wanting her to experience as much pleasure as possible. I don't even realize that my inhuman sounds are as loud as they are until I hear her father grumbling about respect as he grumbles about respect.

"Please don't stop, Edward, ungh."

My Bella's plea, and a sharp tug to my hair, bring me right back to my current task, and I waste no time cradling her soft body in my arms as I finally take her over the edge.

"Oh! Oh, Edward, _yes_. Yes!" Just the sound of her falling apart, and the feel of the rush of her juices coating my lips, tongue, and chin send me over the edge, with a deafening roar as well. There is nothing in the world more satisfying than taking your mate to the height of passion. I certainly can't wait to do it again. And again and again. I may have to wait awhile, though, because my angel is currently out cold, draped across my bare chest.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

What do you think of Charlie? What do you think about Edward's family now? Alice?

Kisses,

Laila xx


	4. Chapter 4

Hello my lovelies! Here we go with the next chapter. I'm overwhelmed with the amount of love this story is receiving. It makes it so much easier to keep going!

If you want to see some visuals check out Pintrest. Just search The Bunny Ranch and you'll be able to find me and the board for The Mating Bond.

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Thank you to my beta, princess07890 for being awesome in every single way.

I own nothing.

* * *

 **~Edward~**

Charlie is long gone by the time my Bella leads us down to the kitchen, and she takes her time fixing herself breakfast.

"Tell me why we had to leave the bed again?" A beautiful blush creeps up onto the apples of her cheeks, intensifying her already glorious scent.

Her line of questioning does nothing to help my resolve to keep my hands mostly to myself.

"You're a little vixen," I manage to say just as I take her fully into my arms, and thoroughly assault her mouth. I can feel the vibrations of her sweet giggle as she pulls away from my attack, and the sheer happiness on her face makes me smile widely. I love this woman with everything that I am, and I will stop at nothing to always be the reason for her smiles. I steal one last kiss before continuing my thought, "And, unfortunately, I have to get you to school." Her answering pout is adorable. "It's only one more day before a long weekend, baby. We can do it."

There's a sudden sadness lacing her eyes, causing my chest to ache,

"I hate being away from you. Even for just a few hours throughout the day."

I know exactly how she feels. "I know, my love; I hate it, too. It hurts." I accentuate my statement by rubbing my chest, because the separation does, indeed, cause physical pain. It bothers me immensely to be the very cause of her physical pain. Knowing that she feels even a fraction of the discomfort that I experience without her, bothers me to no end. I do take some comfort in knowing that the acclimation period is relatively short, according to my father, and that, although we will always be uncomfortable when not in each other's presence, we will no longer feel physical pain the longer our bond has to grow and strengthen.

I ponder this as my beloved eats her scrambled eggs, and smile at the knowledge that life will only get better from here. I have a stunning mate, a loving family, and enough wealth to live comfortably for an eternity. What could possibly be better than this?

There's a nagging thought in the back of my mind that adds, _independence_.

I let my thoughts drift to the conversation we had last night in regard to blood bonding, and make a mental note to speak with my father about it this evening. I know that my Bella is just as anxious to experience it with me, as I am with her. The mere thought of becoming one with her in that way is overwhelmingly erotic, and I can do nothing to hide the desire and longing in my eyes. Sheer need is what I'm feeling at the moment, and, thankfully, it doesn't take my Bella long to recognize it. She is off of her chair, and sitting astride my lap in a matter of seconds, pressing the heat of her core against me in the most delicious way.

A low growl escapes my throat, and it's all the motivation she needs to press her mouth against mine. Before we realize it, we are a mess of tangled limbs and half-discarded clothes licking, kissing, biting, growling, moaning, and purring.

The animal side of my nature is strong, and the beast is chanting in my mind to mark, take, and claim her. It doesn't help matters that, the more aggressive I get, the more aroused my Bella becomes. I'm surrounded in her heady aroma; I'm surrounded in _her._ I don't know how much longer I can hold out, especially when she's grinding her hips against me and kissing me in the most enticing way.

She pushes against my shoulder, urging me to scoot the chair back. "I need to taste you."

Holy mother in heaven.

I give no resistance as I allow her to pull me down off of the chair, and roll me onto my back. Her soft, delicate hands pull at my belt and, all too soon, yet not soon enough, she is pulling my length from the confines of my boxers.

She stares for only a moment, marveling its size before leaning down, and pressing a wet, open-mouthed kiss to the head. Her beautifully fragrant hair tickles my thighs as she slides her hot, wet mouth fully down onto me, and it's all I can do to not ejaculate prematurely at the sight of her full, gorgeous pink lips wrapped around me in the most intimate way. If there is a heaven on earth, I've certainly found it.

She hums in appreciation of my flavor, and the resulting vibrations send a jolt of pleasure to my very core, causing feral growl erupt from my chest, and an instinctive need to grip her hair a little tighter. Thankfully, this is an extreme turn on to her, and she works my shaft with even more vigor. It is at this point that I can no longer stand to not have her essence on my tongue, so, with the grace that only a vampire could manage, I have my precious woman disrobed and straddled over my mouth faster than she can comprehend.

The combination of being surrounded by her heady aroma and sweet, musky flavor, along with the overwhelming sensation of her incredible mouth on me is too much for either of us, and we both spiral quickly in to orgasmic bliss.

Carefully rolling her off of me, I crawl up her beautiful body peppering her flawless, creamy skin with kisses until I reach her red, swollen lips, placing four lingering kisses upon them. It is only when the love fog dissipates that I realize I'm purring loudly. Not only that, but she loves it, instinctively nuzzling her face into the crook of my neck.

There is honestly no way to describe how her complete acceptance of me feels. To know that she not only accepts my animal nature, but enjoys it, craves it even, is indescribable. I am filled with complete and utter joy.

"I love you, Edward. With all that I am."

"I love you, too, my Bella." I waste no time in answering her, and I feel nothing but complete conviction in the declaration. It may seem too soon for a traditional couple, but we are anything but a traditional couple, and, in vampire relationships, timelines do not exist.

"Forever."

This is where the struggle begins. We lock eyes and both of our minds and bodies are screaming at us to consummate. Claim. Mark. Mate. Mine. Just as she teaches up to pull my face to hers, my phone buzzes with an alert.

I really hate my sister right now.

If we don't leave now, we will be late for school. The last thing I want is for my beloved's grades to suffer because of my uncontrollable hormones. I am one hundred and nine years old. I have more self-control than that.

Regrettably, we get redressed, and make our way to school, hand in hand, but the unspoken words between us are solid. We _will_ finish what we started tonight. We will _not_ allow _anything or anyone_ to disrupt us.

By the time tomorrow morning comes, this phenomenal woman will be mine in every possible way.

My mate.

My forever.

Bella chuckles quietly in her seat, looking out the window while playing with my fingers. "What's so funny, my love?"

She says that she thinks it's charming that I'm still a somewhat shy, inexperienced guy underneath the aggressive, domineering exterior. She says that she realizes that it's purely instinctual, but still has questions. She turns to look at me with those beautiful brown eyes and elaborates,

"So, you just instinctively know how to please your mate?"

The sound of that word, _mate,_ along with the scent of myself on her breath, causes a low growl to escape me before I have a chance to reign it in. Looking over, apologetically, I answer in the simplest way I know how, "Yes. Well, yes and no. My instincts tell me what to do, but your reactions tell me what you like best."

A slow smirk graces my face before I curl my lips back baring my elongated canines, and growl lowly. There is a distinct dilation of her pupils seconds before her eyelids drop, accompanied by a sensual moan. The musky scent of her arousal, and the pounding of her heart immediately fill the cab of my Volvo, overwhelming my senses.

The lust filled look in her eyes as she gazes at my teeth is by far the sexiest thing I've ever witnessed. She rubs her thighs together, and reaches up to tangle her delicate fingers into the wispy hairs at the base of my neck, adding to the sensual energy surrounding us. As we roll to a stop, I take full advantage of the last few uninterrupted moments we have to savor the softness of her mouth, and she pulls my face to hers.

Sweet ambrosia explodes onto my tongue when she nicks her lip on my fang, and I allow myself a moment to savor the intoxicating flavor before easily sealing the wound.

She loves the rough texture of my tongue, and isn't shy to take the opportunity to suck it into her mouth for one final deep kiss, before releasing me to fall back into my own seat.

She is panting, and I am beaming.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Such truth in those words. They don't seem like enough to convey how I truly feel, however, and by the tenderness reflected back at me in her eyes, I know she feels the same way. It's such an amazing feeling to know that your love and devotion is fully reciprocated.

I think back to forty-eight hours ago, back to the depressed and bitter man I was, and am ashamed. If I had known that this kind of happiness awaited me, I could've never let myself become such an unpleasant person. I feel terrible for the way I acted, and for the way I treated my family over the last couple of decades, although I'm also starting to feel some discord about how we've been forced to live. I never thought twice about these things before, but suddenly they seem to really bother me.

That unrest is back in full force as we make our way inside the school, and, suddenly, I feel too big for this place. I'm agitated and uncomfortable, and it has nothing to do with Bella.

Bella turns to look at me as we stop in front of the door to her first period class, "We are gonna talk about this."

I nod my head, because there's honestly no one else I want to confide in. For the first time in nearly a century, I don't want to talk to my father, and, if we're being honest, I have no desire to even see the rest of my family right now. The thought is unsettling. She gives one last reassuring smile before slipping inside her class.

I miss my mate already.

I make my way to my first class, and take my seat in the back of the classroom, set out my book, and then immediately mentally search for my girl. I find her easily through the mind of Jessica Stanley. While Jessica's mind is normally a pretty vile place to be, I'll happily endure it for the opportunity to be closer to my angel.

"So, you and Edward Cullen?" Her smile isn't completely fake, and while her thoughts aren't completely genuine, they aren't really malicious either.

"Yes. He's wonderful." My Bella's smile is radiant, making her look even more stunning than usual, and I find myself smiling right along with her.

There are several of these conversations throughout the morning, but, as time slowly passes, there is more and more distress and melancholy tainting her beautiful features. Lunch period cannot come soon enough. Thankfully, the bell rings, and I'm dashing toward her fifth period class. Like magnets, her gorgeous brown eyes find mine immediately, and she slips her arms around me. I eagerly return the embrace, and the collective sigh we both simultaneously release would be comical if it weren't for the discomfort surrounding our circumstances.

We decide to sit alone for the lunch period so that we can talk freely and uninterrupted. I have to admit that neither Bella nor I are very happy with my siblings at the moment, so sitting alone seems like the best option for now. Alice is mentally blocking me, and the rest are curious about why we're not joining them, but I choose to ignore them, and enjoy this bit of reprieve with the love of my existence. Although the fact that Alice is blocking me puts me on edge. What is she hiding?

My attention is pulled back to Bella when she asks a series of questions. "Why do you guys keep repeating high school? Do you ever play older roles? Do you ever work? Why do you live in secret? Why don't you feed off of humans? It's not like you'd kill them. I'm sorry, that's a lot of questions, but I want to know. I promise I'm not judging you, at all, I just want to know you. I want to know _everything_ about you."

The complete adoration reflected back at me through those eyes I love so much is enough to render me speechless. How on earth did I get so incredibly lucky? Overwhelmed by emotion, I slide my fingers through hers, and give her a little insight to my family and why we choose to live the way that we do, "My father believes that by not drawing undue attention to ourselves, that we are able to blend in with the humans, and live a more peaceful life. We don't feed from them out of respect for them. We don't want to frighten them because my father believes that it would cause unnecessary panic and uproar. They are the rulers of the earth after all."

Even as I explain the principles that I've lived and believed in for nearly a century, that nagging feeling flares like white hot fire inside of me. It's clear at this moment that I no longer share my father's beliefs; that, in and of itself, is unsettling.

It's as if Bella can read my emotions, because she reaches for my hand and says, "I think that makes for a very lonely and unfulfilling life. I won't complain because that lifestyle brought you to me, but I don't see how you can do it over and over and over again. It seems like a betrayal to your very existence. I don't mean to cause problems, but it just seems unfair to me."

She's unknowingly supported every ounce of resentment that I can feel growing inside me. I know that we can be better, that we _are_ better than we are allowed to be. Why can't we contribute to society? Why do we live in the shadows like we are unworthy of walking the earth? These thoughts are just too heavy to think about right now, so I'm grateful when my angel changes the subject.

"So, Jessica seems quite enthralled with the fact that you've been rubbing my thigh for the last thirty minutes", her chocolate eyes gleam with playfulness as she looks up at me from below those long lashes.

I don't skip a beat as I allow my hand to creep up dangerously close to where I want it, and whisper into her ear, "She's wondering how far we've gone." My breath sends a shiver up her spine, causing her breath to hitch, and heat to bloom in her cheeks before she turns her face to mine, and presses her soft, sweet mouth to mine.

Heaven.

I kiss her deeply, but not long enough to cause too much commotion. I do, however, allow myself to nuzzle the side of her face and neck. A little scent marking never hurt anyone, right? I have to admit that our peers find it a little odd, but, neither Bella nor I can find it in ourselves to care. I only pull away when my Bella starts keening, placing a quick, chaste kiss to her pillow soft lips.

Other than a few strange looks, the rest of the student body seems to, thankfully, be oblivious to us. We decide to stay at my house tonight so that we can learn a little more about the changes that my Bella will experience. We are both very eager to learn the finer details so that we know what to expect in the next few months. I'm letting these thoughts roll around my mind when my gorgeous girl's voice speaks up,

"Babe, how will this work? I mean, we'll be trying to adjust to all of these physical and emotional changes all while attending high school? Wouldn't it be easier to go through this in private? Without the watchful eye and scrutiny of the town's entire teenage population?"

She gently lays her head on my shoulder, tilting her beautiful face upward. When she closes her eyes, a thrill shoots through me. It is clear that she's asking to be scent marked.

I swallow back the rush of emotion, and softly brush my thumb across the apple of her cheek as I blow across her face, saturating her skin and the strands of her silky hair in my scent. The gentle smile that forms on her lips is so tender, that I can do nothing but close my eyes, and rest my head against hers, fully enjoying the warmth and peace in the pulsing of our bond.

The fact that she's taken so quickly to the animalistic qualities of our bond thrills me to no end. It's truly an amazing feeling.

I am incredibly blessed.

I hear the mental screaming of my sister before I choose to acknowledge her. I do appreciate, however, that she is mindful enough to warn me before approaching. I wouldn't want to make a scene, and merely approaching us while we are lost in our bond would've definitely caused a frightening reaction from me.

I sigh heavily as the bell signaling the end of the lunch period sounds, and look back into the eyes of my equally disappointed mate. The urge to take her and run is so strong in this moment; by the look in her eyes, she feels the same way. We both feel like we just can't seem to get the peace and privacy that we both crave so desperately.

This interrupted moment was the first glimpse of _apricis in aeternum_ that we've experienced thus far, and the fact that it was interrupted makes me even more resentful. It's in this angered state of mind that I make the decision to call and talk to Aro myself. Bonding should be a wonderful, spiritual experience, and I feel that we are being kept from it, or that it's being tarnished somehow.

It's not that I believe that my family is intentionally trying to sabotage us, or anything like that, I just think that perhaps their overly cautious actions are interfering with our ability to fully bond, and to fully enjoy the process as nature intended.

Resolved, we leave the school grounds, and, as soon as we are in the privacy of my Volvo, we make the call. He answers swiftly, and there only five words that come to my mind,

"Aro, we need your help."

"Edward, my child, what on earth has you so distressed?" Aro's voice is full of genuine concern, for which I am grateful. If anyone can shed light on these repressed feelings stirring within me, Aro can.

"We have questions, and I feel like we aren't getting straight answers. We feel like our bond is not being allowed to progress naturally. It's causing pain to my Bella, and that is unacceptable to me. I feel like there is a storm of aggression brewing inside of me, and I fear it's turning into resentment. I don't want this feeling to get out of control." My voice is strong and full of conviction. There is also an air of authority to it, which takes me by surprise.

"Ahh, yes. I figured it would be only a matter of time before your frustrations got the best of you." There is no judgement in his voice, which manages to relax some of my tension. But I'm just about to unleash my frustrations when he continues, "They mean well, Edward, I assure you. Regardless of how you feel, you must know how much they love you, and, by extension, your Bella."

His soothing words do nothing to dispel my anger toward my meddling family, and my annoyance is apparent in my voice, "Pardon my bluntness, Aro, but if they love and respect us as you say they do, then why are they blocking me? Why are they working so hard to keep us apart? Why are they hindering our connection as if it is something to be feared? How can that be?"

"So many questions. I'll tell you what. Why don't you head to the airport, and I'll put you and the lovely Isabella on the first flight to Volterra? I'd be happy to answer any and all questions you and your mate may have. On one condition, however."

Annoyance flares up inside me again at the mere thought of being given orders, but I agree wanting to get our questions answered, "Anything."

"Tell your parents that you're coming to spend some time with me. I don't want you running off without a word. I know that you are fully grown, and don't have to answer to anyone, but your parents deserve that much respect to say the least. It's not my intention to sound patronizing, I just don't want to stir up any undue conflict."

"I understand, Aro. Thank you for your willingness to help. We will see you soon."

Relief floods my century old body as I end the call. Aro is right, my family deserves to know where we are going, and why. As angry and frustrated as I am with them, they are still my family, and I love them.

"We will stop by Charlie's first. It'll be quick. Then we can head over to my house. I have a feeling that my family is going to want to discuss this impromptu trip a little more thoroughly." My eyes flick over to Bella's, and I find so much tenderness and understanding reflected within those deep chocolate orbs that it hurts. Without a second thought, I crash my lips to hers, savoring the sweet softness of her mouth. I will never tire of kissing this woman.

Her little hands tighten in my hair, pulling me impossibly closer. I'm purring, rumbling deep in my chest with the heady scent of her arousal permeating the air around us.

I can't get close enough.

A menacing growl escapes me as my head snaps toward an impending threat.

 _Edward_.

My sister's internal voice is soft and soothing, but another growl manages to escape me, even louder than the first. This time, instinctually, I bare my teeth, unwilling to back down to anyone ever again.

My sister's hands fly up in a surrendering motion, and she slowly steps away from the vehicle. The hurt in her eyes doesn't escape me, but I can't seem to calm down or care. They've pushed me too far.

It isn't until my Bella's voice fills my mind that I'm finally able to regain some semblance of control.

"You know better than to approach when we are otherwise occupied, Alice." I should feel bad for snapping at her, but I'm not. I'm even more annoyed that, once again, she's failed to respect our bond by interrupting a private moment.

"Yes, and I apologize for approaching. But are you really leaving?"

Her eyes are wide with a hint of sadness and guilt behind their golden depths. She knows we're leaving. Her clairvoyance tells her so.

"We only wanted to protect you. I swear, we never meant to hurt you or cause either of you distress."

With that she's gone, leaving only a trail of The Bible translated into Mandarin in her disjointed thoughts behind her.

My Bella's voice is soft, breaking the tension around us, "What was that all about?" Her wide brown eyes swim with concern and confusion.

I brush a wayward strand of hair away from her face, marveling at the silkiness of it as it slips between my fingers. Suddenly, Alice's feelings no longer matter; my Bella is all that matters. "Don't worry, my sweet girl, we'll make the decision that's best for us. No outside influences. Only you and me."

Her sigh of relief is all I need to hear to know I've said the right thing, and she is quick to agree, "Yes, my love, only you and me."

The confidence in her voice is all the reassurance I need to put the car in drive, and head toward her house. We'll deal with Charlie, then with my family. I hope, with all of my being, that they will be understanding, but whether or not they are will have no bearing on our final decision. We need answers, and, for whatever reason, they can't seem to be able to give them to us.

There's a restlessness stirring inside of me that is growing stronger day by day, minute by minute, and it's time for me to find out the cause of it.

~*~TMB~*~

A slow smirk spreads across my face at how distracted my girl is as we wait for Aro in the sitting room of his ostentatious mansion in Volterra, Italy. Apparently, she likes the more natural, much older looking version of myself. According to her earlier ramblings, she much prefers me without the illusion of playing a teen role, physically looking much closer to late twenties than late teens.

Alice works very hard to make us all look young, but, now being privy to Bella's preferences, I know that it would be impossible to ever slip back into that facade. I feel about ten feet tall with her body's obvious reaction to seeing me in a simple, much more mature, black sweater, proper fitting jeans, and black boots. I've easily forgone the rehearsed teenage mannerisms, and, for the first time in a very long time, allowed myself be comfortable with my own physical age, experience, and maturity. I'd forgotten how much of myself I'd actually been repressing. It's like being stuck in an acting role you simply cannot escape from, and I have to admit that it feels wonderful to finally be free of it. I hadn't realized how much resentment I harbored on the subject until now. Luckily, I don't have too much time to wallow in these unpleasant thoughts because Aro finally joins us.

"Edward! My, it's been far too long since I've last seen you." His thoughts are warm and genuine as he pulls me in for a hug.

"Aro, this is my beautiful Bella." I reluctantly relinquish hold of her hand as he wraps her in a warm, fatherly embrace. Thankfully, he is respectful of our bond, and doesn't take offence when she flinches away at his contact, nor when I fail to fully suppress a possessive growl at the mere non-threatening contact of another male with my woman.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Isabella. Congratulations on finding your soulmate. This such a wonderful time in your lives; I hope you enjoy it to the fullest." Bella is confident and articulate as she chats with Aro, making my chest fill with pride.

"Which brings us to the reason for your visit." It's not a question.

"Yes. Aro, my family seems to think that, by delaying full mating, they are somehow protecting us. They believe that it is unsafe for Bella to fully succumb to our bond. I know that their fear stems from the difficulties Emmett had, but I still don't quite understand. Could you shed some light on these concerns for us?"

"Ah, yes." His mind fills with images and information, which I absorb greedily, but I'm appreciative when he puts his thoughts to words, for Bella's sake, "Emmett did have a rough go of it. The change, I mean, but have no fear, sweet Isabella, you were put on this earth for Edward and for Edward alone. These changes you are going through are pure, natural, and _right_. Any discomfort you may experience will be eclipsed by the pure bliss of your bond. I can understand your concern, given Emmett's ill experience, but I can assure you that complications like that are very rare, and have more to do with a person's state of mind than with the process of mating.

"Your bond is unsettled at the moment. I can feel it in the air around you. Neither of you are at peace. Now go, and enjoy each other and the villa. Stay as long as you like. Celebrate the precious gift you've been given. Give me a call in a few days, and we will visit again soon. There's much more to discuss." With those parting words and a kind, knowing smile, he leaves us alone in his sitting room.

The tension surrounding us thickens to the point that it's nearly suffocating. One glance toward my beloved to see the longing and hunger reflected back to me in her beautiful brown eyes confirms all I need to know. She needs me, just as much as I need her. She is in my arms, and I am darting toward the guest villa before she's even taken her next breath. An excited squeal escapes from her lips, and she throws her arms around my neck, laughing as her human mind registers the speed at which we are traveling. It doesn't take long to reach the beautiful guest house Aro is so generously sharing with us, but I hardly give the sheer beauty of the place a second thought because I currently have the most gorgeous creature in the universe suckling on my throat, and writhing her hot little body against me.

A low growl escapes from deep within me as her arousal permeates the air around me. It's so thick and potent that I can taste it as I breathe. Her scent is nearly driving me mad by the time I deposit her on the huge, four poster bed. There will be no taking it slow this time. We are both heady with desire, and desperate to be joined as one.

To be fully mated.

We are a tangle of limbs, tongues and teeth, pushing, pulling, gripping, possessing. Growling, keening, moaning, and begging.

Long, smooth legs wrapped around me.

Inviting.

Fucking _mine_.

And then I'm inside.

Heaven.

Hot.

Wet.

Tight.

Mine.

I can't get deep enough.

I'm drowning in her scent, in her warmth, in her soul.

She falls apart. A deep sexy moan escapes her as she pulses around me.

Her beautiful eyes closed in bliss. Her luscious mouth opens in a silent scream as she shatters around me. Her dark silky hair fanned out on the white pillow.

She's a vision of pure beauty.

She's overwhelming.

And then she looks at me and I'm lost.

A guttural growl.

Primal urges to lick, mark, bite, and own.

She cries out again.

I'm a man possessed.

By love.

An almost painful surge of power flashes through me.

A deafening roar.

I am complete.

An overwhelming surge of tenderness.

I kiss her sweet mouth, nuzzle her graceful neck, and caress her beautiful body as we bask in our bond.

I've never known happiness like this, and, according to her very satisfied, but very exhausted thoughts, neither has she.

We are finally at peace.

 _Apricis in aeternum._

She is mine and I am hers.

Forever.

* * *

How do we feel now that they've finally mated? What do we think about the family now? How do we feel about Aro?

As always, I love to hear what you all are thinking.

Lots of love, Laila xx


	5. Chapter 5

Hello faithful readers! I can't thank you enough for your kind words and support. You make writing this story awesome.

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A very big thank you to princess7890, you are amazing.

I own nothing.

* * *

 **~Edward~**

"Open."

I'm surprised by the surge of power and authority that flows through me with my simple demand. And how easily my mate obliges. The shift in my demeanor was almost instantaneous upon mating. It's a subtle change, as I've always been rather bossy, but a change that both my gorgeous girl and myself are embracing wholeheartedly.

Her eyelids become heavy with lust, and she bites her bottom lip gently as she lifts the hem of my white button down shirt that she's currently wearing, and spreads her legs wide, putting the most intimate part of herself on display for me.

I stroke my thumb up the silky, glistening skin, spreading the slick moisture up toward her pubic bone.

She fists the hem of the shirt tighter, and squeezes her eyes shut at the sensation, while humming her appreciation.

Never removing my hand from its soft manipulations, I step closer to her, nuzzling my face against her neck as I use my free hand to deftly undo the few buttons that are closed. She lets out a huff of protest when I remove my fingers from her heat, and use both of my hands to gently push it off of her shoulders.

I take my time, allowing my eyes to caress her curvaceous body and allow my fingers to follow everywhere my eyes have touched, brushing my thumbs over the deep, rose colored buds until they are hardened peaks begging for my mouth.

She gasps, her little hand flying to my hair, and pulling hard as I let the rough texture of my tongue slide over the sensitive, pebbled flesh.

"Yesssss...ungh."

I know she loves my tongue on her, and I smirk against her full breast as she arches even further into me, wrapping her long legs around my waist.

My girl is loud.

And demanding.

A fact that is punctuated when she pushes my head down to where she really wants it with all her little might, naughty demands falling from her sweet mouth. She's pretty strong for such a tiny little thing.

"Lick me."

"You're so impatient." I chuckle, but don't deny my queen her wish, and before she can get her snarky retort out of that sweet mouth, I've already licked her from one end to the other, effectively shutting her up.

Well, her words anyway. Her sounds are going strong, and when they teeter on the verge of inhuman, I know that's my cue to get inside her; as much as I want to keep going, my queen's needs are more important than my own.

"Damn."

It's the only coherent thought I get out before the animal takes over. From this point forward, we are a combination of teeth, tongues, and snarls. She's clawing at my back, and I'm licking at her neck. She's keening, and I'm growling.

My hand wraps around her throat and my thumb caresses the line of her jaw. I turn her head to the side, giving me full access to her neck. Her fragrance is so sweet and enticing, I take a deep breath, and enjoy the floral bouquet. She tries to turn her head in attempt to what I assume is to kiss me, but I'm not finished inhaling her, and, without a second thought, I growl at her. When she tries again, I snarl menacingly, tightening my grip around her throat.

She presses her body closer to me in reaction.

"I love you like this. I love the vampire side of you." Her voice is soft, sweet and laced with pure lust.

I hum my acknowledgement, pleased, how once again, she has no problem with my vampiric nature, and how I'm not hiding or suppressing any part of my true self.

I've spent so much of my life hiding who and what I really am, that her complete acceptance of every facet of me is almost overwhelming. It means everything to me.

Wrapping myself even tighter around her, I let my purring finally lull us into sleep.

I awake a few hours later, look down at my beautiful mate, and take a moment to reflect on the last three days.

We've spent the majority of our time drifting between intervals of sleeping, feeding, and exploring our newly consummated bond. Her hair is shimmering subtly in the morning sunlight that's streaming through the window, giving her an ethereal glow. She looks like a goddess. My goddess.

She subconsciously shifts toward me in her sleep, making me smile. Her small, feminine hand reaches out until she's able to grab onto me. Only then is she able to relax back into sleep.

Sleep.

I'd forgotten how wonderful sleep could be. Being a hybrid, sleep is optional. We use more of a resting cycle, if you will, a sort of deep meditation, because, as vampires, our senses are never truly cut off. But actually sleeping with my beloved these last few days has been incredible.

And let's not forget about mealtime. Last night was the first time my angel let me feed from her; overwhelming couldn't even begin to describe the experience. To know that she's literally given me life. I couldn't possibly love, appreciate, and respect her more. It was awe-inspiring.

Spiritual.

I lay back, letting the mid morning sun warm my skin, and decide to let my love rest, but, the second I roll away from her, she lets out a whimper. So, I gently arrange her so that she's laying across my chest. She burrows her face into my neck, and lets out a contented sigh.

I place a soft kiss to her temple, and think about the last interaction I had with my family. I'm confident that my father's intentions are honorable, there's no question about that, but the fact that Alice is clearly blocking me doesn't sit right with me. What could she possibly see that she wouldn't want me to know?

Also, why do I feel like the only genuine support we had to make this trip was from my mother? Her only advice was to trust my instincts, and to follow my heart. I know she doesn't agree with how the rest of the family intervened with our bonding. Her thoughts gave her away. I guess I just want to know why.

Of course, these are answers I won't be getting any time soon. I push these unpleasant thoughts aside as I feel my Bella's heart rate pick up. She stretches languidly, causing the sheet to shift, which exposes her full, soft breasts. My scent radiates from her, but she turns her gorgeous face up to me nonetheless. Who am I to deny such a simple request from my girl?

Happy to oblige, I gently tangle my hand in her soft, silky hair, and blow my breath gently across her face, effectively marking my territory. She lets out a low keening whine as she hitches her smooth leg over my hip, and squirms a little in my embrace when I let my hand drift down the curve of her hip, and over the swell of her ample bottom.

She rubs herself against me until her instincts are satisfied that I'm saturated in her scent and she in mine. Only then does she open her gorgeous eyes to me. I love how easily she submits to my dominance. She's taken to her animalistic instincts to this life, remarkably well. Don't get me wrong, my girl can be feisty, but she knows her place; for that, I'm grateful. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will always have her best interest at heart, I will always take care of her and our offspring, and that I will always put her and her needs above my own. Our bond allows her to put her full trust in me. And, because of that, she will never challenge me. Of course, I'll never give her a reason to do so.

I tenderly push a tangle of hair away from her face, and kiss her like it's been seven hours since I've last tasted her mouth. Although she's more than willing to accept my body, I know she's too sore.

"Give me five minutes, my love. I'll run you a bath." I brush my thumb against the apple of her cheek enjoying the way she leans into my touch.

Her voice is husky with sleep and her deep brown eyes shining with need, "Only if you join me."

"Only to hold you, my love. Your body needs some recovery time." My tone holds no room for argument, and I raise my eyebrow in challenge when I detect a glimmer of protest in those gorgeous eyes, but, other than a surge of arousal at my display of dominance, she simply nods, eagerly accepting one last kiss, and grudgingly admitting that she is, indeed, quite sore.

A few hours later, with my Bella dressed in a pretty blue sundress and gold sandals, we stroll leisurely, hand in hand, back to the main house to get the answers we've been waiting for. We take our time fully enjoying each other's company, and the beautiful scenery surrounding us, stopping only a few times to kiss and grope. This is the most carefree I've ever felt in my life.

Gustavo, Aro's long time butler, meets us at the door. His eyes widen slightly at the sight of me, and he drops to a deep bow before leading us through the massive house. I've heard "Alpha" mentally directed at me three times, by three different members of the house staff before we are finally ushered inside Aro's office. None of them will look me in the eye. I can't decide if it makes me uncomfortable or not, and I look down at my mate for her reaction. She simply smirks, and I decide, right then and there, that I like it very much.

Aro himself, along with his brother, Marcus, and his son, Caius, meets us. Aro is seated behind a large, ornate, mahogany desk, and easily bows his head as we enter. Marcus is leaning casually against it while Caius is standing off to the side of the room.

Pleasant greetings are exchanged, and Bella easily takes a seat on the leather couch, but, for some reason, I can't bring myself to sit down. I don't want to sit down. I also bristle at the fact that Caius doesn't bow his head to me. So, instead of sitting, I stand to my full height, allowing my presence and my natural dominance to fill the room.

It isn't long before Caius slinks into the wingback chair he was standing near with his head bowed.

How dare he challenge my authority?

Bella's arousal assaults my senses, permeating the room. Marcus and Aro are amused by that fact, and I don't hesitate to growl at the three governing leaders of our entire species in response. How dare any of them have the audacity to think of her in that way?

Marcus opts for the chair beside Aro's desk, again with his head bowed deeply.

I decide to remain standing.

Marcus's thoughts involuntarily fill my mind. He believes that I am _the_ Alpha Male. Aro's thoughts don't show one iota of surprise by the entire exchange. As a matter of fact, his thoughts reveal that he's not only been expecting this to happen, but that he's relieved that it finally has.

I choose to stand at Bella's side, still not entirely comfortable with sitting, in, what my mind perceives to be, a submissive position. Instead I turn my attention to Aro, "Why is everyone referring to me as the Alpha Male? What exactly does that mean?" Aro's thoughts are going a mile a minute, but I want him to speak out loud.

"It means that you are the chosen one; the true leader of our kind. It means that you alone hold the most power of any vampire in existence. It's a heavy burden to bear; I should know."

His thoughts drift to the stresses of governing a race of beings, and all of the turmoil that it entails. He believes that I will be a far better leader than him. He knows that his views are archaic. He has complete confidence in me.

"I've known that this was coming since you were a child, Edward. All you needed was your mate." An image of my father passes through his thoughts.

"My family knows?" It's a statement, not a question.

"Your father and your mother do, yes. Your father didn't want this life for you, but, you see, my King, it's not up to him. This fate was inevitable. It's who you are, who you were always meant to be. It's your destiny."

I growl menacingly at the revelation.

"How much did he keep from me when I was growing up?" I can feel the energy surging through my body. I don't like the thought of being manipulated, even by my father.

"You'll have to discuss that with Carlisle, my King. I don't want to get in the middle of a father and son. The question is, what do you want to do with all of this now that it's yours?"

That, in and of itself, is a loaded question. There is so much that I would change, but I need to give it all some serious thought. Not to mention that I want to discuss it with my Bella.

"I don't want to live in the shadows. I don't want to live with the belief that I, or my mate and my children are abominations." That is the only thing that I choose to voice at this point. It's the most important change that I feel needs to be made.

"And how would you go about accomplishing that? Certainly we cannot just take the planet over from the humans. That would cause complete chaos!" Caius's voice nearly interrupts me, but his argument loses steam the moment that I shift my attention to him. He breaks eye contact, and looks down to his hands.

"Of course it is something that would have to be handled delicately. I'm not sure how I want to go about it, but I refuse for my family to feel like they are only worthy of living in the shadows. I know in my soul that we can make it happen. Bella and I will find a way."

Aro's thoughts are skeptical, but supportive. "Let me show you how we run our little village. I'm not sure that we can, or should, consider expanding a situation like this, but it does work for us. I'd be happy to have Caius show you around, and divulge all of the intricacies of Volterra, if you'd like, my King."

I'm intrigued by what I see in his mind, and wonder briefly why he's never implemented something like this worldwide. When I voice my question, he simply answers, "Your father convinced me not to; I wasn't confident that it would work, and he convinced me that it was wrong. We had our village, and I was happy enough to leave it as such."

His answer makes him sound weak, but I'm not interested in calling him out on it. I'm more interested in exploring Volterra, and then discussing my findings with my father. I want to know why he's against the expansion, and I want to know why he actively tried to keep me from my destiny. The thought alone enrages me, but I'm able to keep my emotions under control. My father at least deserves the opportunity to explain himself.

I take my Bella's hand, and help her into the vehicle which will be guiding us through Volterra. Caius's thoughts reveal his reluctance to bow to my mate, but his very instincts force him to do so. I growl lowly at his thoughts as I pass him, but choose not to give him any more grief than that subtle warning. I do understand that it will be an adjustment for him, and everyone else if we're being honest.

"This place is gorgeous." Bella's sweet voice cuts through the tension in the car as she takes in the scenery flashing by. It really is. The rolling hills are lush and green, with plenty of vegetation and bright flowers lining the road.

"That is one of our clubs." Caius points out a fairly large stone building off in the distance. He jumps into a full explanation before I have to tell him to articulate his thoughts, which I appreciate. "It's got an open door policy. Any human that wants to be fed from can come to any of our clubs. They sign a consent form, and, in turn, we offer them protection. They willingly allow a vampire, chosen through mutual selection, to feed from them. It works well because it's all consensual, and there is never any danger or harm to the human. Once the human no longer wishes to participate, they walk away. The only thing we ask for is discretion. We've done it for centuries, and have never had any issues."

He pauses thoughtfully before adding in his thoughts, _I always wondered why we didn't implement this globally, considering how well it works, but Carlisle wouldn't budge on the issue._

I take in the rest of the tour and even meet some of the humans. They are polite and respectful especially when each of the vampires we come across bows deeply to my mate and me.

I absorb every detail on the rest of the tour, making mental notes of things I want to further research and/or ponder. There's an idea for the future of our race forming in my mind, but I need to discuss it with my mate, and see where we can possibly take it.

I thank Caius for his time when he drops us off at the guest villa. I have some calls to make, but, first, I have to feed my lady. I make arrangements to take her into the city for a nice evening on the town.

My Bella decides to take a quick shower, then changes before we head out. I don't join her, and instead use the few minutes to think about all of the information that was disclosed to me today.

Alpha Male.

King of the Vampire Race.

A slow smile spreads across my face at the thought, and, for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I feel like myself, and that feeling is priceless.

"What are you smiling about, my love?" My Bella's husky voice pulls me from my inner musings. She looks stunning in a white dress. Her long dark hair is draped over one shoulder, leaving her elegant neck exposed for my attention. I slide my hands around to her bottom, easily pulling her into my lap, and kiss the soft, creamy flesh. I flatten my tongue against her pulse point, and drag it up toward her ear, earning a soft moan from her gorgeous lips.

She rubs her face into my neck, and then lifts it, closing her eyes. Immediately, I comply, not happy that my scent has faded since her shower. I brush her silky hair back from her face, and blow my breath on her until she's completely saturated in my scent. Only then do I stand her up, and lead her to our waiting car.

The café is quaint with picturesque views. The food is fantastic, and, for once, I'm glad that I'm able to digest human food, just to have the opportunity to enjoy the meal with my mate. After dinner, we decide to take in some of the sights before heading back to the villa. My Bella is radiant and happy as we stroll down the street, taking the time to look in all of the little shops.

She finds a diamond eternity band in an antique shop, and falls in love with it. She loves the concept, considering that we are bound for eternity. I can't deny the possessiveness I feel when I slide the tangible symbol of our bond onto the fourth finger of her left hand. She looks up at me with so much emotion shining in her beautiful brown eyes that it takes all of my self-control not to scoop her up, and run back to the villa at vampire speed.

Instead, I lead her back to the car as quickly as possible, and head straight back to the guest villa. I carry her inside, and deposit her softly on the bed, once more allowing our bond to bring us together as one.

The next morning, as my Bella remains sleeping, I make one of the hardest calls I've ever had to make. My father picks up the phone on the first ring, obviously having been told that I would be calling by my sister.

"Edward." His voice is very formal; it's obvious by his tone that he does not approve of my choices.

"Father." I'm trying my best to be open and receptive to what he has to say, but his shortness is making it difficult.

"I presume that you're calling to ask why I was so determined to slow your mating process down?"

"Among other things, but that seems as good a place to start as any." I can hear the authority in my own voice, and I'd give anything to read his thoughts right now. Not that it would matter, since I learned that he's actually a master at disguising them and blocking me. The thought irks me to no end.

"I'm still your father, Edward."

"Yes. But I'm a fully matured vampire. Well beyond that, actually. Besides, I'm not contesting that fact. I merely want some answers. I deserve to know why."

"Your mother and I were told just after you were born that you would grow to be the Alpha. I've done nothing but research from that moment about how we could reverse, or even just dilute it. I've devoted my entire life to live harmoniously with humans; I didn't want my life's work to be challenged. I know how you feel about playing your human roles, Edward. You see, Aro never cared what I did; he was always too self-absorbed to care what anyone was doing outside of Volterra. But you, you would have the power to change everything.

"I thought that, if I delayed your consummation, it would merely lessen your rank. I wasn't trying to hurt you, son. You have to believe that."

"Let me get this straight, father. You made my mate suffer for purely selfish reasons? You made her suffer so that you could continue to _play_ _human_?"

"We are abominations, Edward! We are demons! We should be grateful to have the gift of living amongst them! Aro uses them like cattle. Do you want to see that happening all over the world?"

It truly saddens me how ashamed my father is of who and what we are. "From what I've seen, they are not treated like cattle. If it's consensual, I don't see what the issue is. Don't you think the humans would like the respect of knowing that we live amongst them? I think they would feel far more betrayed, and be far more frightened to know that we are lying to them."

"Aro has got you brainwashed. Come home, we can discuss this in more detail face to face."

I would like to talk face to face, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to see him. My emotions are still too raw. "Why have you been blocking me? Or at least editing your thoughts? Why is Alice blocking me?" I have to know. Out of everything, this is what bothers me the most.

"You have to understand, son. I only did what I thought was best for everyone."

That is not a sufficient answer as far as I'm concerned. I tug at my hair, at a loss for words, when my angel comes out from the bedroom wearing only my button down shirt from yesterday. She pads over and curls into my lap, obviously still sleepy. I kiss first the top of her head and then her temple. She burrows down deeper into my embrace, and immediately I feel stronger.

"I had a right to know what my options in life were. I had a right to make my own decisions. We all do."

"Well, it seems that you've already made your choices." His tone clearly implies that he's no longer receptive to conversation.

"Bella and I will be in touch." That's all the response I give before disconnecting the call. Ten minutes don't even pass before I get a text alert on my phone.

 _We need to talk._

 _I'm on your side._

 _I'll be in touch._

 _~Rose_

* * *

Do you think they should go talk to Carlisle in person? What do you think of Carlisle's reasoning? What do you think Rose has to say?

I can't wait to hear your thoughts and discuss them with you!

Kisses, Laila xx


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